Random: A Seafood Feast To End The Season

As planned, the team went out to share one final meal together as the final note of what has been an extraordinary season. After drawing 1-1 with Deportivo, they gathered at the Reef restaraunt in La Coruna and feasted on seafood, before calling it a night.

That is, all except for Albert Jorquera, staff member Pepe Costa, and party animal Gerard Pique who, apparently, won't let anything, not even the muscle tear he'd just picked up at the match, get in the way of his partying. The three boys went out for drinks together to cap the night off.

Transfer Talk: Cescy Coming Home?

Reports are that Barca's main target for this summer is Cesc Fabregas. Aren't you just squealing in delight? He's got Barca blood in him and Arsenal stole him from us in the first place; we'd love nothing more than to see him back home. We'll bring him back just like we brought back Gerard Pique, and, like Pique, he'll simply shine on Barca. Not to mention that he and Geri are like, best freinds. FYI, Cescy got Geri tickets for the 2006 Champions League final in Paris when Barca faced Arsenal, Geri rooting for Barca of course, but he couldn't celebrate Barca's winning goal from Belletti since intelligent Cesc had got him a seat amongst Arsenal fans.

Ok, returning to topic. When Cescy was still a player in Barca's youth, Pep, who was then still a player himself, once said to him that he would one day be the number four (Pep's number at the the time, and Cesc's current number on Arsenal) of Barcelona. And it looks like Pep's about to make it happen.

Cesc's been dropping hints all season long, suggesting that a return to Barcelona is on the cards for him; he's obviously willing. In the end, it would come down to Arsenal's manager, Wenger... and Barca's offer of 45 million euros would be too good to turn down, seeing as his club is short on money and he's looking to rebuild the sqaud. We've got our fingers crossed for this one, and you'd best do the same...

Injury Report: Geri Out For Two Weeks

Gerard Pique was subbed out of last night's game around the sixtieth minute, giving B-teamer Botia the chance to make his debut, after Geri got injured. He's reportedly torn the adductor muscle in his right thigh, and is expected to be out for two weeks. Well, season's over so it's not such a big deal; he can recuperate without any pressure.

This could mean, however, that he'll miss out on participating with the Spanish National team in this summer's Confederations Cup. In any case, we hope he's better soon!

Match Report: Barcelona 1-1 Deportivo

So much for going out of the season in style.

Really, for such a strong lineup against such a side as Deportivo, you'd think the team would at least win this match, if not by a wide margin, after all Barca have already done this season. But the final match ends with a draw... barely a draw, too.

For the third Liga match in a row, Samuel Eto'o started once again in hopes of scoring enough goals to get him the Pichichi, and the same thing happened in this match as in the last two. The team was held back because they were trying to work things out so that Samu would score; chances were missed becuase of this, and Samu just didn't step up and play like he was supposed to.

Diego Forlan scored again last night... Samu would have needed four goals to get the title... it just wasn't going to happen. That's why he and everyone else should have forgotten the damn Pichichi and just concentrated on playing team football and scoring a few goals... and we might have broken the Liga goals record. But no, we had to go and waste another match on Samu trying the impossible for that Pichichi.

The match kicked off and Deprtivo were dominating. Barcelona, dominated, by Deportivo! It doesn't get more ridiculous. And then Depor scored, and were down again. Do we have to have these awful matches just because we've already won the Liga? It's not right.

Eto'o saved some face though for himself as well as for Barca when he finally equilized the score towards the end of the match, the goal beutifully set up by Bojan. We wish Bo'd been starting in the center instead of Eto'o, with Pedro and the rest of the youngsters on, and that they could have had at least this match to themsleves, without having to worry about getting the ball to Eto'o... we're sure they'd have done great.

On a side note, Barca debuted the new peach-colored away kit for next season in this match. The soft tone seems a bit strange after Barca's away kits are usually bright, flashy colors, but we welcome the change... the new shirt loks great on the boys!

With that, the season comes to a close... what has been, indeed, a truly spectacular and unforgetable season. We feel kind of sad that it's over... supporting Barca throughout the year, through every moment, great or tough, has been magical. It always is, but this season has been too exceptional... the team has been so beautiful, in every aspect... we're looking forward to next season, and we're sure it'll be awesome, but we can't help but feel that nothing will ever compare to this one...

Random: Roma Buildups, Centerback Showdown & Drunken Leo

Our boy Gerard Pique was quite a favorite in the buildup to the Champions League final in Roma. As a former Manchester United player, he had plenty to say about both teams, from claiming that he knows all of Cristiano Ronaldo’s tricks and that he’s ready to deal with anything from the striker, to talking about his DJing antics and the music he likes to play whenever Barca win… it’s all pretty interesting to read, we’re especially loving where gave his opinion on all the players from both Barca and United, revealing that Victor Valdes plays the piano… how devilishly handsome he finds himself to be… and that he’s working on turning Baby Bo into a man…

More and more reasons to keep on adoring Pep. While the players from United were out on the pitch warming up for the big final in Roma (and a lot of good it did them) Pep called our boys into the dressing room minutes before kickoff to show them a video he’d prepared showing special moments from Barca’s season, to the theme of the Russell Crowe movie Gladiator… it was truly a motivator for the players, and Pep is just such a genius.

Looks like Lionel Messi got a bit too carried away celebrating the team’s treble. He does seem to be positively drunk… we expect he got into a fight with Geri over the champagne bottles, not bearing to see such perfectly good drink go to waste being sprayed over his teammates.

The beautiful lads in our centerback duo, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, are up against each other in the Thursday Thigh Off on Kickette. Which of the Catalan defenders does your vote go to?

Random: Feast of the Treble

Barca continues to party as the entire team gathered for their treble celebration dinner at the Grand Hotel La Florida. Bojan was the first to arrive on the scene, followed shortly by Vic, Puyol, Yaya and Titi. The rest of the team came soon after, and Samu was the very last one to make his appearance. Players, coaches, staff members and all were invited to the event, and the only one of the boys who didn’t make it was Gaby Milito.

Apparently Abidal made quite a sensation with his brilliant orange Porsche, as did assistant coach Tito Vilanova for actually showing up in casual dress after all we’ve really seen him in this season is his coach’s drab. Messi didn’t even have to try to get any attention, he could barely get clear of the fans as it were; and a lot of eyes were on Rafa as well, when he arrived with his girlfriend actress Jaydy Michel, although we think she was looking pretty faded.

Many of the other team members also showed up with their WAGs, and we’re happy to report that Hleb’s gal did not repeat the nightmare of a dress she showed up in last time, and was looking pretty great. Pep’s wife Cristina came along as well after she missed the last dinner, as did Laporta’s.

The dinner lasted till about one in the morning, and the team is scheduled for one final meal together in a seafood restaurant in La Coruña, after they complete the last match of the season tonight against Deportivo.

Link: Image gallery of the team’s dinner at Catalan newspaper site Sport

La Liga: FC Barcelona vs Deportivo, Riazor Stadium, Saturday, May 30 2009, 21:00 CET

The season has come to an end, and we conclude it with a final Liga match against Deportivo. We want the team to play to their fullest for this one, and go out of the season in style with a good result, even if we have already won everything. Just because we're champions doesn't mean that this match, like the previous two Liga matches, should be a loss. It's our goodbye to what has been a most phenomenal season... let's do it right.

Barca is three goals away from breaking the Liga record for most goals scored in a season; we're hoping the boys will be able to score them, and we can add another record to all the ones we've already achieved this season. It shouldn't be too much trouble, either, since we last thrashed Deportivo 5-0 on Camp Nou...

Samuel Eto'o is also a hattrick away from being named Pichichi. Can he do it? We'd like to hope so, he'd really be just a hero if he accomplishes that, since he'd be adding two more titles to Barca's tally this season... record for Liga goals as well as Liga top scorer. FYI, Barca's Leo Messi has succeeded in becoming top scorer of both the Copa Del Rey and Champions League, with six and nine goals respectively.

Pep goes into this match with a squad that is niether full of starters nor of subs... it's more of a trailmix. Messi isn't called, and has been given permission to stay behind and not travel with the team, along with Abidal, who is suspended on a yellow, and Dani Alves, who is still injured. The rest of the injured players, however, will be traveling with the team.

Iniesta and Puyol are included on the injured list, and won't be playing; Iniesta's post-Champions League checkup suggests that his recovery isn't yet complete even though he felt fine after the final, and it's been decided that he'd better not play. Puyol won't play either due to the second degree sprain on his left ankle he picked up in Roma.

Sanchez, Jorquera, Marquez and Milito remain injured; the rest of the team is included in the squad, including B-teamers Oier, Xavi Torres, Botía, Abraham, Thiago and Jeffren. We'd have liked to see the young and yummy Muniesa called up, but the RFEF rejected Barca's appeal for the red card given him on his debut against Osasuna. We're pretty much hating them right now.

The Weekly Pick: Pep Guardiola

Barca have achieved this most incredible and historic treble, and the entire team is to thank for it, but we must stop to comemmorate Pep. He's really the one that has led the team to where they are now, he's been simply phenomenal and we just can't get over him. We adore every last thing about this man. He's absolutely brilliant as a manager. He's the hottest man ever to be called coach. He's considerate and humble and he's got the greatest personality, the most amazing attitude... he's just perfection... Pepfection.

Post-Match Buzz: Festival of the Treble

The team's celebration in Rome stretched on till morning, three o'clock in fact for most of the players, with Messi, Puyol, Pique, Bojan, Botia and Muniesa partying on until five.

The team was on their flight back to Barcelona the next day, where they landed at the El Pratt airport in Barcelona at five in the afternoon following the Champions League victory. The boys boarded the open-top celebration bus, dressed in shirts reading "League, Cup, Champions", and went off on a tour of the streets of Barcelona, followed by 75,000 fans. Finally they arrived at Camp Nou where the grand celebration took place before another 100,000 fans.

Valdes, Xavi, Bojan, Sanchez and Jorquera came onto the pitch from one side carrying the Champions League cup, Henry appeared with the League trophy, and Pique with the Copa del Rey one. Pep saw them and his hands flew to his head, and he went off yelling at the boys and drove them into the locker room... for they were going against the planned celebration program.

Lights at the stadium were dimmed out and videos of the seaosn's best moments were shown, the screens showing the message "You can spend days, months and years. Even centuries, but the team will never forget the triplet. Tricampeones, thank you." Then the players emerged, with the three trophies coming last of all: Andres Iniesta and Victor Valdes came carrying the Copa Del Rey trophy between, followed by Captain Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernandez with the La Liga trophy, and finally Coach Pep Guardiola and assistant coach Tito Vilanova with the Champions League trophy.

Sylvinho made his entrance onto the pitch with trumpet and Gudjohnsen somersaulted his arrival; the players did their customary lap of honor with the trophies, Pep and several of the players again took the mic to say a few words; Pique joked and sang as usual, and sprayed everyone in his path, Pep included, with champagne; and the boys honored Iniesta by tossing him into the air as they usually do with Pep. The whole celebration took place, of course, to the songs "We are the Champions" and "Viva La Vida", and the night was capped off with a brilliant display of fireworks.
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Match Report: Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United

The treble is OURS! Barcelona have done it, we’ve defeated Manchester United 2-0 to claim the Champions League and, subsequently, the first treble in the history of Barcelona and even Spain!

Manchester United? Setting Cristiano aside, they weren’t even there! Our boys totally shut them down, and even our patchy defense was able to thwart what attack there was from them!

The reds attacked first, and second and third and fourth and fifth, but with Barca’s first surge forward came our first goal. Samuel Eto’o executed beautifully, it was a brilliant goal and Van Der Sar is probably still wondering where it came from. And we’re so glad because Samu was playing fantastically, it totally makes up for the mediocre performance he gave in the last two Liga matches. He went crazy celebrating, as did the team and the crowds and us and, we know, every Barca fan on the face of the earth. And that was just the beginning…

Barca continued to attack. When United did, our keeper and defense did well to stop them. They were incredible, even while lacking both our starting leftbacks as well as a starting center. The midfield was possibly our strongest point last night, Xavi and Iniesta couldn’t be more awesome! Prior to the match, Iniesta had been told by Pep that he was under no circumstances to shoot at the goal, lest there be too much exertion on his leg from the shot, since he’s just returned from injury; Iniesta followed his coach’s orders and though he did not shoot, he was just wonderful.

Then there was the fantabulous attack… Lionel Messi truly stands out as the best player in the world after this match, he couldn’t have been more amazing and of course, scored Barca’s second goal. It was unusual however, because Leo scored it with his head—and him the shortest player on the pitch! He can do anything… Leo is just something else. By the way, Messi debuted the new Adidas F50i boots in this match.

We’ve beat European and world champions Manchester United, and nothing can be said now against the fact that Barcelona are the best team in the world. And can anyone deny, either, that Josep Guardiola is the best coach, like, ever? He’s younger than a lot of players, had never coached a team before except for last season when he managed Barca’s second team—so zero experience at a first team level—and he came and took over Barcelona when they were in the middle of crisis, having completed two seasons without a single piece of silverware, and look where he got them.

But Pep is just a footballing genius. Setting aside his incredible record as a player, he’s the most phenomenal coach… he turned everything around for Barca, rebuilt the squad and inflicted his own rules and changes, turning Barca into a team that is just made of win. His first time coaching… and he leads Barca to their first ever treble (he’s also the third youngest coach ever to win the Champions League, the youngest coach to win it in almost fifty years, as well as the third one to have won it as player as well as coach). What manager has ever, or could ever, or will ever achieve that? It’s almost too astounding to believe.

League, Cup, and Champions… and it’s not like Barca scraped them up, either. The team’s victories have been fantastic, they’ve been unbelievably strong and they’ve scored buckets of goals, winning on goal differences of four and five and six, multiple times… they’ve broken so many records this season, they are undoubtedly the best team Barca has ever seen, or perhaps even the best that the world has seen… and it’s largely thanks to Pep.

Yet, he stands on the side when the boys are celebrating, he asks the home crowd at Camp Nou to give their biggest ever ovation for the players, he insists that the team could have done it all without him, he just pushes the spotlight away from himself and onto the players. His modesty… his effort… his devotion… his ingenuity… are all just staggering. Not to mention that he’s the hottest coach there could ever be! We are simply in awe of this man.

But no matter how he tries to avoid it, Pep will be recognized and applauded for all that he’s accomplished. The players celebrated their victory amongst themselves as Pep looked on, yes, but they soon rushed over to him, picked him up together and tossed him into the air, and though they’ve done it twice before this season, and it isn’t really something new, it has its own special meaning here because Pep is truly the one to thank for this amazing and historic treble.