FC Barcelona Begins Title Defense at Santander

Defending La Liga Champions, FC Barcelona will start their title defense with an away visit to El Sardinero. The first home match for Barca will be on the 12th of September against newly promoted Hércules. The season is sure to get interesting with a visit to Vicente Calderón to face Atletico Madrid on Matchday 3. Barca is sure to have a tough October and November with Valencia's visit to Camp Nou on October 17th, followed with a clashes with Zaragoza, Sevilla, Getafe and Villareal. The much anticipated first leg of El Clasico will be on November 28th with a Real Madrid visiting Camp Nou. The second El Clasico of the season will be held on April 17 (Matchday 32) at Bernebeu. Meanwhile our fierce rival Real Madrid will begin their campaign with a visit to Mallorca on Matchday 1.

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Adriano Correia Signs For Barca

FC Barcelona has completed the signing of Adriano Correia from Sevilla for 9.5 Million Euros. There is an additional 4 Million Euros that has to be paid to Sevillas depending on a variety of objectives. Adriano signed the deal which will keep him at the club for four year today and will be presented as a Barca player on Monday. This is the second signing done by Barca this season and looks like a very wise choice. This guy can play as both left back and right back and also if needed as a winger in midfield. The buyout clause for Adriano is set at 90 Million Euros.

Who is Responsible for the Zlatan Debacle?

The jury is still out on whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a success last season. With 21 goals and 10 assist, anywhere else in the World Ibrahimovic would have been celebrated as a huge success. But when you have a price tag of 70 Million, the highest in the club's history, may be those figures are not simply good enough. The stats are pretty good when you compare with other strikers all over the planet, but still Ibra cannot be termed anywhere near as a success. Especially when a previously discarded( by Guardiola) kid, Bojan Krkic manages to replace you easily at the most crucial juncture of the season. Maybe the ridiculous prize tag associated with him is the one acting heavily against him, something I highlighted in an earlier post - Bojan Krkic Could Be the Key. But when the newly appointed financial Vice-President, rightly questions the amount spent in acquiring the star, you have to be in trouble. Suddenly the Barcelona based media houses Sport and El Mundo Deportivo both are raising the same question. Kind of strange, ain't it? About an year ago the same media houses were bringing out crazy statistics to justify the amount paid for the Swede!!! At that time also I clearly thought that Laporta has Gone Crazy agreeing for such a deal.

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