Barcelona 2008-2009 Squad

FC Barcelona Players Profile 2008/2009

GOALKEEPERS:

Victor Valdes Arribas



Víctor Valdés joined Barca as a youngster on 1st July 1992, from Peña Cinco Copas.

In September of the same year he moved with his family to Tenerife and didn't rejoin the club until three years later.

After
quickly proving his worth with the youth teams and Barca B, the club
coaches decided that the 2002-2003 season was to be Valdés time to form
part of the first team squad. At first, he alternated appearances with
Roberto Bonano but finished the season as regular first choice under
Radomir Antic.

He consolidated his place as in the starting
line-up in the 2003-04 season. He played most of Barca's matches that
season and put in some excellent performances, helping the team to
finish as runners-up.

In the 2005-06 season Valdés was one of
the key players in Barça’s double of the League and the Champions
League. Especially memorable are the crucial saves he made in the final
in Paris as Barça won its second ever Champions League.

In the
2006-07 season Valdés remained a fixture in the Barça goal and played
in all 38 League games. In the 2007-08 campaign he only stood down in
the last three games to give José Manuel Pinto a chance to make his
first team debut. All this time Valdés has been improving and is now
one of the players who has played most games between the sticks for the
club.

CHARACTERISTICS

One of the things
that needed to be worked on after the first season, namely coming off
his line, started to pick up in his second campaign with the first
team. He is now a keeper of proven quality and has a great deal of
experience in spite of his relative youth.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Individual Awards
2004/05 Spanish League Zamora

José Manuel Pinto Colorado



José
Manuel Pinto joined Barça on 18 January 2008 from Celta, the club he
had played for during the previous ten seasons. He came on loan but FC
Barcelona signed him permanently at the end of the 2007/08 season.

Born
in Puerto de Santa Maria (Cádiz) on November 15, 1975, Pinto start his
professional career in Andalucia. After spending three seasons with
Real Betis's B side, he moved up to the first team and made his debut
for the club during the 1997/98 campaign. A year later he agreed to
move to Celta Vigo, where would spend the next decade before leaving to
go to Camp Nou.

After being replaced by Toni Prats at Betis,
Pinto opted to join Celta and it was there that he found stability and
was awarded the captain's armband. He went on to play 126 games in la
Primera, 56 matches in la Segunda A as well as appearing in the
Champions League and the UEFA Cup regularly with the club. As well as
helping the side to qualify for the Champions League in 2003/04, Pinto
won the Zamora Trophy as the best keeper in the league in 2005/06.

That
year, Pinto conceded just 28 goals in 37 league matches (an average of
0.75 per game) and helped guide the team to sixth place in the top
flight and into the UEFA Cup. The season before had seen Víctor Valdés
win the Zamora.

When playing for Celta in the Second Division,
FC Barcelona bought him in the January transfer window as cover for
Albert Jorquera, sidelined with a long-term knee injury. He came on
loan but FC Barcelona signed him permanently at the end of the 2007/08
season, during which he made his League debut away at Deportivo and
then played in two more matches.

PROFILE

Pinto
is a strong goalkeeper, standing at 1.85m tall and weighing 82kg. His
height and agility make him powerful in the air and he also has very
quick reflexes to help him make a quick-reaction save when required. It
is those reflexes that also make him a superb shot-stopper from close
range, but he is not easy to beat from distance either.

HONOURS

Celta de Vigo
2001/02 Copa del Rey Runner-Up

Individual Awards
2005/06 Spanish League Zamora

Albert Jorquera Fortia



Jorquera
joined the youth ranks of Barça on 2nd November 1994 from Vilobí CF. In
the 96-97 and 97-98 seasons he played in the youth team and then moved
on to Barca C (98-99) and Barca B (99-00).

He spent the
2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons on loan to second division B clubs AD
Ceuta, and CE Mataró. He then returned to Barca B, also in second
division B, as first choice keeper for the 2002-03 season.

He
made the leap to the first team in the 2003-04 season as third choice
goalkeeper behind Víctor Valdés and new signing Rüstü Recber, making a
spectacular first team debut against Athletic Club Bilbao in the Nou
Camp on 17th January 2004, where he put in a top performance. He then
played four weeks later, also at home, this time to Atletico Madrid and
was one of the stars in Barça's 3-1 win.

In the 2004-05 season,
Jorquera had the chance to show his qualities in the last two games of
the season, with Valdés being rested after securing the Zamora title
for ending the season with the best goalkeeping record. The man from
Bescanó has always performed well when called upon and has never
complained about spending so much time on the bench.

In the 2005-06 season, Jorquera played 3 league, 1 Champions League and 4 Cup matches. In total, he let in 12 goals.

Jorquera
didn’t play as much in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons. In the former
he didn’t play in the League at all, though he did turn out in all the
King’s Cup games (the team reached the semi-finals). The latter was
marked by a serious ligament injury to his right knee sustained in the
game between the Basque Country and Catalonia on 29 December 2007 which
forced him to sit out the rest of the season. FC Barcelona signed José
Manuel Pinto to stand in for him.

CHARACTERISTICS

Jorquera
has made excellent progress since joining the Barca academy. Thanks to
his hard work and determination, he has developed great reflexes,
anticipation and agility.

He stands out for his positive
attitude and cheerful character. He's sober and the complete keeper.
Consistency is one of his main defining characteristics.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League



DEFENDERS:

José Martín Cáceres



José
Martín Cáceres signed for Barça in the summer of 2008 after a good
season with Recreativo Huelva. The young Uruguayan defender had had,
until then, a short, but intense, sporting career.

Martín
Cáceres (7 April, 1987) started his career in the junior ranks of
Defensor Montevideo and made his debut in the Uruguayan first division
for the club in 2006. He played seventeen games, scored four goals and
was shown five yellow cards. In the following season he would only play
nine games with Defensor because his professional career would take a
big step forward in the summer of 2007.
First, he took part in the
South America U-20s championships where he helped Uruguay to third
place as well as being named the tournament’s best defender. Cáceres
repeated his fine performances in the U-20s World Cup in Canada and so
generated interest from some European clubs.

Villarreal signed
him in August 2007 but loaned him out to Recreativo. Martín Cáceres
played a huge role in keeping the Andalusian side in the first
division. Wearing the number 4 shirt, he played 34 games, scoring two
goals and receiving ten yellow cards.

His fine season in
Huelva brought him some recognition. He was included in UEFA’s team of
upcoming stars for the 2007/08 season, along with Bojan Krkic. He also
became a permanent fixture in the Uruguayan national side. His progress
attracted FC Barcelona, who signed him in the summer of 2008.

PROFILE

Martín
Cáceres, who stands at 1.82m, is noted for his aerial power, speed,
aggression and bravery. And as well as playing as a central defender he
can also play at full back or in a holding midfield role. With both
Defensor Montevideo and Recreativo, as well as the Uruguayan national
side, he has shown great leadership skills in defence, despite his
young age.

Gerard Piqué Bernabeu



Gerard
Piqué returned to FC Barcelona, the club where he started as a boy, in
the summer of 2008, after three seasons with Manchester United and one
with Real Zaragoza.

Gerard Piqué was born on 2 February
1987 and since that day he has been a club member of FC Barcelona.
Since he was very young he has been involved with the club and when he
was 10 years old he joined the youngest boys’ team at the club (Alevín .

From
then on he passed through the various under-age levels, picking up
titles along the way and winning plaudits in all age categories (Alevín
A, Infantil B and A, Cadete B and A and Juvenil B and A). When playing
at Cadete B level Tito Vilanova was his manager, and he will meet up
with Vilanova once again on his return to the first team. In all this
time of development and learning, Gerard Piqué showed a great ability
to adapt to different positions on the field and gained a reputation
for goal scoring, despite his defensive position.

At the end
of the 2003/04 season, Gerard Piqué took a break from his life as an
azulgrana and left for Manchester United. He made his debut for the
English side on 26 October, only three weeks after arriving, in a
Carling Cup match against Crewe Alexandra. He was also with Alex
Ferguson’s team for the 2005/06 season before being loaned out to Real
Zaragoza for the 2006/07 season.

In his only season with the
Aragon side, Piqué played quite a lot as a defensive midfielder in
front of the back four. The catalan played 22 league games, eighteen of
which he started, and scored to goals. During this time he played
alongside Gabriel Milito, who he will also meet up with again on his
return to Barça.

Season 2007/08 saw Piqué return to Manchester
United and he was able to celebrate the double of Premiership and
Champions League. He had a memorable season in the Champions League,
especially in the initial league phase, scoring two goals.

With
regard to his international experience, Piqué is a regular for the U-21
side, as he was with the younger under-age teams. He played in the 2007
U-20s World Cup in Canada, the 2006 U-19s European Championships in
Poland (which Spain won) and the 2004 U-17s European Championships in
France (which Spain finished as runners-up).

PROFILE

The
Catalan is a big defender (1.92m tall and weighing 85 kg). His physical
size and good technical ability make him strong in the air. He also
knows how to put these qualities to use in attack, especially from dead
ball situations. Apart from centre-half, Piqué can also play in front
of the back four, as he showed during his time with Real Zaragoza.

HONOURS

Manchester United
2007/08 Premier League
2007/08 Champions League
2005/06 Carling Cup

Spain
2005/06 European Champion U-19
2003/04 European runner-up U-17

Rafael Márquez Álvarez



Rafael
Márquez is the first Mexican ever to play for Barça, having arrived in
the 2003-2004 close season as one of the principal reinforcements in
defence.

His youth and the progress he's enjoyed in
the last few years have combined to make him one of the most promising
defenders in Europe.

Beginning his career at Atlas Guadalajara
(1996-99) he made his debut in the Mexican first division when he was
just 17 years old. Three years later he signed for AS Monaco where he
soon fit into the demands of the European game. In 2000 he won the
French League title and was named as the league's top defender.

In
2003 his team won the French League Cup. Captain of the Mexican
national team he played in the 1999 and 2001 Copas de America and the
2002 World Cup.

Márquez has gained the complete respect and
trust of Frank Rijkaard and has become a regular in the Barcelona team.
In his first season at the club he was one of the key figures as the
side earned direct qualification for the Champions League.

In
2004-05, he demonstrated his versatility. The knee ligament injuries to
Edmilson and Thiago Motta meant that Márquez was asked to step away
from his usual role in the centre of the defence and play as a
defensive midfielder, as he had done for both Monaco and Mexico in the
past. He proved to be outstanding in front of the defence as he helped
the side win the league title.

Márquez played in 34 League games
and 6 Champions League fixtures, scoring 3 goals. In the 2005-06 season
Márquez partnered Carles Puyol in the centre of the defence and
together they become one of the best central defensive pairings in
Europe. He was out for a month with a muscle strain in his right leg.
In the year of the double, Márquez played in 25 League games and 8
Champions League encounters.

Injuries limited the Mexican’s
contribution in the 2006/07 and 07/08 seasons. In total he played in 21
and 22 League games respectively. With the arrival of Touré Yaya,
Márquez once again moved into the centre of the defence where he formed
a fine pairing with Gaby Milito.

Capitan of Mexico, and in
addition to winning the Copa Confederaciones in 1999 and the Copa de
Oro in 2003, he has also played under all the national team’s coaches
in recent years. He played in the Copa América in 1999, 2001, 2004 and
2007, and in the World Cup in 2002. He was also a key player for Mexico
in the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

CHARACTERISTICS

Right
footed and very skilful, he reads the game well and has a great ability
to launch his team in counter attacks. In addition he's a great free
kick taker and strong in the air.

Known as the "Kàiser of
Michoacán" for his elegance on the ball, dependability and skill coming
out of defence, Marquez can also do the business as a central
midfielder and has been compared to Franz Beckenbauer.

In the
defensive midfield role, Márquez can impose his strength in the air as
well as helping to build the play from the back as well as breaking up
opposition attacks with his tackling.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Monaco
2002/03 French League's Cup
1999/00 League

Mexican National Team
2003 Golden Cup
1999 Confederation Cup

Carles Puyol Saforcada



Carles
Puyol began his footballing career in the local team of the small town
where he was born, La Pobla de Segur. His talent soon attracted wider
attention and, at the age of 17, he was signed up for the Barca academy
at La Masía.

He rapidly became a fixture in Barca B and
then progressed to make his debut with the first team on 2nd October
1999 against Valladolid at the orders of Louis Van Gaal. His
appearances became more and more frequent until he made the right back
position his own. Thanks to his determination to improve and a
tremendous work rate, Carles Puyol adapted to the position of central
defender.

In the 2003-2004 season, having been chosen as third
captain, he played a vital role in the team's sensational run of form
that led to the runners-up place in the league. Puyol made 27
appearances in the league and seven in the UEFA Cup.

However,
Carles Puyol had to wait until the 2004-05 season to win his first
medal with Barca. He was, by then, captain of the first team and an
essential part of Frank Rijkaard's league championship winning side. At
the end of the season, he finally saw his dream come true of lifting
the league trophy in the Nou Camp.

During the 2005-06 season, he
played as well as he had the previous year. The Barça captain had the
honour of being presented with the league title trophy before the game
against Espanyol, before lifting the UEFA Champions League in Paris
after the monumental victory against Arsenal in the Saint-Denis
Stadium. Puyol only missed five matches all season and none through
injury. On three occasions he was rested by coach Frank Rijkaard and
was then suspended for the other two games which he did not play in. He
also scored one goal as he headed home during the 5-0 victory against
Real Sociedad on October 30, 2005.

At the end of the following
season in 2006/07 (in which he played in 35 of 38 League games), Carles
Puyol suffered the worst injury of his career when the League was
already over. He damaged ligaments in his knee in a friendly played in
Pretoria on 20 June 2007 and this kept him out until 29 September.
Despite missing the first months of the competition, the club captain
finally played in 30 League games in the 2007/08 campaign.

Carles
Puyol is also a fixture in the Spanish national side, with which he
played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and in the European
Championships in 2004 and 2008. In the latter he was key figure as
Spain won the title in Vienna.

CHARACTERISTICS

Carles
Puyol started off in the first team at right back but has since
developed into a great central defender. He stands out for his
tremendous fitness levels and his discipline on the pitch. He's a
perfect example of a team player and he never over-complicates the job
when he has to cut off an opposing attacking move.

He can also
adapt to the left back position when circumstances dictate. Although he
is not particularly tall (178 cm), his physical strength makes him very
strong in the air and he is capable of man-marking opposing forwards
who are taller than him. He also likes to get up in attack, especially
for corners and free kicks.

More than anything else, Carles
Puyol is a reference point for the rest of the squad due to his
character and qualities of leadership and because of his pride in the
Barca colours and his total identification with the Club.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Spanish national team
2008 European Championship
2000 Silver medal. Sidney Olympic Games

Silvio Mendes Campos, Sylvinho



Sylvio
Mendes Campos 'Sylvinho', has tried his luck in three of the most
important leagues in the world: the Brazilian, English and Spanish. He
has always been successful.

His professional career
started back in 1994 in Corinthians, one of the clubs of his home town,
Sao Paulo. After shining at club level, Mario Zagallo called him up to
the national team for his 1997 debut against Russia.

His quality
and consistence opened the doors to European football and in 1999 he
left Corinthians for the Premier League and Arsenal. Following two
seasons at Arsenal, where he quickly became a crowd favourite, he moved
to Celta Vigo for the 2001-02 season. There he became an integral part
of the team that in the 2003-04 season qualified for the Champions
League for the first time in their history.

Sylvinho arrived in
Barcelona in the summer of 2004 and since then he has always given
sterling performances. In the 2004-05 season, however, he was sidelined
for a month with torn knee ligaments. Once he had recovered, Sylvinho
played in 21 League games and 3 in the Champions League.

In
the 2005-06 season Sylvinho was virtually a fixture in the League yet
rarely appeared in the Champions League where he was on the pitch for
just 21 minutes in the Chelsea v Barça game when Gio van Bronckhorst
got injured. Curiously enough Sylvinho won the League and the Champions
League against two of his former clubs, Celta and Arsenal.

In
the 2006-07 campaign the Brazilian continued to share the left back
slot with Gio Van Bronckhorst. When the Dutchman left and Éric Abidal
arrived, Sylvinho continued to alternate in the position but this time
with the Frenchman. He even played on the wing in the 2007-08 season,
for instance in the Champions League fixture with Schalke 04.

Sylvinho’s effort and commitment was rewarded with a one-year extension to his contract up to 30 June 2009.

CHARACTERISTICS

All
Brazilian players, almost by genetic default, are touched by magic and
graced with an attacking flair. Sylvinho, despite playing at left-back,
is no exception to this rule.

His attacking instincts have
allowed him to get down the wing throughout his career and he has a
culture left-foot when it comes to crossing for the forwards.

As
well as his solid defensive ability, the Brazilian is capable of
slotting into the midfield. Sylvinho is renowned for his quality,
tactical awareness and his concentration levels in every game.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Corinthians
1998/99 Paulista League
1997/98 Brazilian League
1996/97 Paulista League
1994/95 Paulista League
1994/95 Brazilian Cup

Gabriel Alejandro Milito



Gabriel
Milito is the twentieth Argentinian to wear the Barça shirt. He is a
central defender who started out at Independiente in Avellaneda, and
then spent four years at Zaragoza before coming to the Camp Nou.

Gabriel
Milito was born in Bernal (Buenos Aires), on September 7, 1980. He came
up through the youth ranks at Independiente, making his top flight
debut aged 17 with the Avellaneda based club. 'El Mariscal', as he is
known, led the side’s defence despite his young age, but his promising
future was almost cut short by a serious injury. He tore cruciate
ligaments in his right knee in 2001 and was out for nine months. And
shortly after his return, he was injured for another four months, this
time with a broken meniscus in his right foot.

Once he was
back to full fitness, Gaby Milito was one of the main reasons for
Independiente’s Opening Championship victory in 2002. He was named
Argentinian Player of the Year and in the summer of 2004 made his move
to Spain.

Milito was originally headed for Real Madrid.
However, before signing his contract the club’s doctors concluded that
he was not fully recovered from his knee injury and warned against
signing the player. Milito went instead to Zaragoza, and that season
won the Copa del Rey at Montjuïc, ironically beating Real Madrid. Later
that year, Zaragoza also won the Spanish Super Cup and Milito was
heralded as one of the finest defenders in the league. In four years at
Zaragoza, he never failed to please.

In the 2005/06 and
2006/07 season, Gaby was joined by his older brother, Diego, at La
Romareda. The Milito brothers were the stars of a side that won back to
back UEFA Cups.

Gaby Milito has also found his way into the
Argentina national team. He made his international debut in 2000 and
played at the World Cup in Germany in 2006 and in the 2007 Copa
America, where he was a regular feature in Alfio Basile’s side, which
reached the final.

In the 2007/008 season he became a fixture
at the heart of Barça’s defence. He played in 27 League games, scoring
a goal and consistently turning in fine performances. In the return leg
of the Champions League semi-final in Manchester, Milito tore a
ligament in his right knee which will keep him out of action for
months.

PROFILE

The Argentinian
international, known as 'el Mariscal', is a respected, authoritarian,
imposing and well-positioned centre back. He also a skilful playmaker
and can help in attack. Although he is not particularly tall (1.79 m.),
Milito is good in the air and can be dangerous from dead ball
situations. He also has a very strong personality, and is a natural
leader.

HONOURS

Zaragoza
2004/05 Spanish Super Cup
2003/04 Spanish Cup
Independiente Avellaneda
2002/03 Trofeo Apertura

Argentinian national team
1999 South American Under-20 championship

Daniel Alves da Silva



Dani
Alves is one of the strongest, most intense and athletic right sided
players in the world. He arrived at FC Barcelona in the summer of 2008,
aged 25 and after six seasons with Sevilla.

He was born
on May 6, 1983 (Juazeiro, Brazil). Daniel Alves joined the Andalusian
club in 2002 (signed from Bahía of Brazil), but it was in 2003/04 that
he really came into his own. Alves played 29 games as he became the
club’s first choice right back and helped his side to qualify for
Europe.

Over time, Alves became one of the lynchpins of the
Sevilla defence, but also contributed to the attack, and in 2005/06 won
the UEFA Cup. He was named by UEFA as the player of the tournament in
the 2005/06 season, and a few months later featured in the Sevilla side
that beat FC Barcelona in Monaco to win the European Super Cup.

In
the 2006/07 season, the Brazilian was once again a central part of the
Sevilla team, and as well as the Spanish Super Cup, his side retained
the UEFA Cup in Glasgow and also collected the Copa del Rey.

The
year before signing for Barça the Brazilian won the Spanish Super Cup
against Real Madrid and made his Champions League debut, with Sevilla
surviving the group stages before going out to Turkish outfit
Fenerbahçe. In the 2007/08 season, Alves played 33 league games, with
only Navas making more appearances.

Alves has also made his
mark on the Brazilian national side. In the summer of 2007 he played a
major role in the Copa America winning team.

PROFILE

He
may be 173 cm tall and weighs 64 kg but Alves is a physical presence on
the pitch, and is able to bite anywhere on the pitch. He rarely tires,
and like the typical Brazilian full back, patrols the whole right side
of the pitch, participating as much in defence as attack. He has scored
eight league goals for Sevilla during these trademark advances up the
pitch, which have come as much with his left foot as with his right,
and he is also lethal from dead ball situations.

HONOURS

Sevilla
2007/08 Spanish Super Cup
2006/07 Copa del Rey
2006/07 UEFA Cup
2006/07 European Super Cup
2005/06 UEFA Cup

Brazil National Side
2007 Copa America

Individual Titles
2005/06 Best Player in UEFA Cup

Éric Abidal



Éric
Abidal’s arrival in France will be the first experience of professional
football outside of France for this player born in Lyon. He was signed
as a replacement for Gio.

Before coming to Barça, Éric
Abidal (Lyon, 11-7-1979) played for four French sides. His first
professional club was Lyon-la-Duchère, in the French CFA2 division in
the 1999-00 season. A year later he moved on to Monaco in the French
Ligue 1, making his debut on September 16, 2000 against Toulouse. He
stayed in the principality for two years, consolidating his role as an
important member of the team.

In summer 2002 Éric Abidal was
transferred to Lille, where he played for two seasons and almost
doubled his number of league appearances, playing in 35 of Lille’s 38
league games in the 2003-04 season.

At the end of that season,
the full back returned to his hometown to play for Olympique Lyon,
where he would stay until signing for Barcelona. In 2004 Abidal also
made his international debut for ‘Les Bleus’ on August 18 against
Bosnia.

He played at the World Cup in 2006, playing 90 minutes
of six of his country’s seven game, in which France finished
runners-up. Abidal played for three very successful seasons in Lyon,
last season competing in 31 games in yet another title-winning season
for his club, while also playing in seven Champions league matches and
10 internationals during his final season in France, 2006-07.

Éric
Abidal joined FC Barcelona in the summer of 2007. The Frenchman played
30 League games, 10 in the Champions League and 6 in the Cup, sharing
left-back duties with Sylvinho although on more than one occasion Frank
Rijkaard used him as a central defender. At the end of the season he
played for France in Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.

PROFILE

Éric
Abidal is a natural left back, although given his size (186 cm, 75 kg)
he can easily slot in at centre back too. He likes to make runs up the
wing as far as the opposition’s area, supplying crosses to the
forwards. He is a very skilful and tactically aware player, and is
noted for his ability to position himself well on the pitch.

HONOURS

Olympique Lyon
2006/07 Ligue 1
2005/06 French cup of champions
2005/06 Ligue 1
2004/05 French cup of champions
2004/05 Ligue 1

French national team
2006 World Cup Runners Up

Victor Sánchez Mata



Víctor Sánchez was born in Terrassa and joined FC Barcelona in July 2005 from local neighbours Europa.

His
ability to play in various positions made him a vital player for Barça
B last season as he played almost everywhere except in goal.

Hard
working and disciplined, he was instrumental in helping the B side gain
promotion back to la Segunda B at the first time of asking as he made
29 appearances. He was unable to play in the Play-Offs because of
injury. Made his debut for the first team in the Copa del Rey game
against Alcoyano last season.



MIDFIELDERS:

Xavier Hernandez Creus



Xavi
has spent all his footballing life at the Nou Camp, having joined
Barcelona when he was only 11 years old. The progress he made was
always very quick and in season 97-98 he moved up from youth team to
Barca B.

In Barça B, he became the brains of Jordi Gonzalvo's team which won promotion to the second division.

Xavi's
dream of making his official debut with the first team squad became
true when he played in the Spanish Super Cup against Majorca in the
summer of 1998. He was in the starting line up and scored: a better
debut he could not have asked for. Xavi also played an important role
in the league-winning season of 1998-99 with Van Gaal as manager, most
notably with an important goal in the Nuevo Zorrilla, which turned
round the team's fortunes.

Season 1999-2000 was a good one for
Xavi as due to the injury to Guardiola he was the first choice number 4
for a large part of the season. After the legendry captain left for
Italian football he became the playmaker of the team and has continued
to demonstrate the full range of his talents in this position.

With
Van Gaal, Reixach, Antic and Rijkaard in charge of the team, Xavi has
always been a key member of the team - a fact made clear by the 300
official games he completed whilst still only 25 years old.

With
Rijkaard, Xavi has shown that he can not only play at the heart of
midfield, but is also more than able to cover any position in the
center of the team, an ability reflected in the fact that he was the
most used player in the League winning 2004-05 season, playing 36 games
in all.

Xavi will never forget 2 December 2005. While training
at La Masía, the midfielder tore the ligaments in his left knee. His
recovery was swifter than expected and within five months he was
playing again. On 29 April 2006 against Cadiz, Xavi once again “felt
like a footballer ". He was back in time to celebrate the League and
Champions League titles with his team-mates.

In the last two
seasons with Frank Rijkaard in the dugout, Xavi was one of the players
most used by the Dutch manager. Plus in the 2007-08 season he set a
personal best of 7 League goals, almost doubling his previous highest
of four in the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons.

In addition Xavi
Hernández has also been a fixture in Spain’s national side. He played
in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and in the 2004 and 2006 European
Championships, and in the latter was chosen as best player as Spain
picked up the title.

CHARACTERISTICS

Xavi
is the playmaker of the team in every game and shows no nerves
whatsoever as he guides the team with an extraordinarily cool head.
Since taking on the mantle of playmaker at Barca he has shown
incredible vision on the pitch. He is another example of the good work
being carried out in the youth teams of Barcelona, especially in the
position referred to as number 4 and as he has matured he has shown an
increasing ability to adapt himself to different positions in the
midfield when his manager has called on him.

His passing to the
forwards and his ability to take the pressure off and protect the ball
better than almost any other player around, have turned him into one of
the focal points on the pitch. He also stands out for his defensive
capabilities and his capacity as a ball winner.

In addition he
has shown himself more than able at dead ball situations, where his
potent shot has brought a number of important goals.

Xavi will
always remember December 2, 2005. During training in front of La
Masia,the Terrassa-born midfielder suffered a bad injury to his left
knee as he ruptured his ligaments. Within five months he was back in
action. On April 29, 2006 he returned to play against Cádiz and stated
"I feel like a football player again". He was able to celebrate winning
the title and the Champions League with the rest of the squad.

The
Barça playmaker was a regular in Luis Aragonés' Spain team during the
2006 World Cup in Germany, where the team progressed to the second
round before being beaten by France.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League
1998/99 League

Spanish National Team
2008 European Championship
2000 Silver medal. Sydney Olympic Games
1999 Under 20 World Champion

Individual Awards
2008 Player of the Tournament: Euro 2008

Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen



Eidur
Smari Gudjohnsen is the first player to play for Barca from Iceland, a
country perhaps better known in sporting circles for handball or cross
country skiing than football.

Gudjohnsen began to make
his mark as a footballer from a young age, perhaps inspired by his
father, who was also an Icelandic full international. When he was just
16, Eidur made his debut in the Icelandic league and ended up with 7
goals in 17 games - a return that caught the eye of PSV Eindhoven for
whom he played for the following two seasons.

Gudjohnsen
returned to his native Iceland to play for KR Reykjavik in the 97-98
season before signing for the Premier League club Bolton Wanderers,
where he played for two seasons before joining Chelsea. He left the
London club to replace Larson at Barca with a record of 62 goals in 219
games in his 6 years at Stamford Bridge, am experienced player with an
impressive cv at the highest level.

Gudjohnsen played as an
out-and-out striker in his first season with Barça, scoring 5 goals in
25 League appearances. The Icelander played deeper in the 2007/08
season, in which he turned out in 23 games and found the net twice.

CHARACTERISTICS

Gudjohnsen
has developed his style in the English game and a a Northern European
he not surprisingly is a bustling centre forward particularly strong in
the air and with both feet. But Gudjohnson also brings an excellent
technique and clever ball skills and a versatility which allowed him to
show his abilities both up front and in midfield for Chelsea. His
skills in midfield helped to convert him into one of the leading assist
providers in the English game.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup

Chelsea FC
2005/06 League
2004/05 League
2004/05 Carling Cup
2000/01 Charity Shield

PSV Eindhoven
1996/97 League
1996/97 Supercup
1995/96 Cup

Andrés Iniesta Lujan



Andrés
Iniesta joined Barca as a twelve-year-old in 1996 after scouts had
spotted him at the Brunette Tournament playing for Albacete.

From
the start he progressed rapidly through the club's various youth teams
and was promoted to the Barca B team for the 2000-01 season, where he
almost immediately became the team's main playmaker under coach Josep
Maria Gonzalvo.

Andrés' dream of making the first team finally
came true in October 2002 when he was picked to play in the Champions
League game against Bruges in Belgium. Van Gaal's Barca won that
evening and Andrés made an excellent impression.

Now an
recognised squad member, Iniesta has established a place for himself
through hard work allied to his undoubted natural skills. In the shadow
of some of the team's bigger names, Andres became a key piece of the
League winning 2004-5 team, winding up as Rijkaard's most used player,
figuring in 35 of the 38 league games. Iniesta also played 8 Champions
League matches, scoring twice.

But he really established himself
as a first team player in the 2005-06 season. Playing in central
midfield in place of Xavi, who was sidelined for a long time with
injury, Iniesta became one of the key players in the Barça side that
won the League and the Champions League. He played in 33 League
fixtures and 11 in the Champions League.

Iniesta continued to
develop in the 2006-07 season and was one of the players most used by
Frank Rijkaard in that campaign. He played in 37 out of 38 League games
scoring 6 goals, his best return to date. In the 2007-08 season, and by
now in the number 8 shirt, the midfielder continued to be an ever
present in the side until the last few games when he picked up a knee
injury.

Plus Andrés Iniesta is one of the key players in the
Spanish national side, playing in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008,
when he was one of the players most used by Luis Aragonés as Spain
lifted the trophy.

CHARACTERISTICS

Iniesta
is fast, direct and reads the game superbly. He started playing in
Barca B in a holding role in midfield but has gradually adopted a more
attacking position in his first team appearances. Van Gaal began to use
him in the hole behind the striker and Frank Rijkaard has, on
occasions, given him a wider role on the right.

This
demonstrates what is perhaps Iniesta's greatest strength his
versatility and professional attitude towards whatever job the coach
hands him. Andres is not a showy player, an attribute that matches his
off the field persona, but gives a guarantee of practicality and
elegance.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Spanish national team
2008 European Championship

Alexander Paulavic Hleb



Alexander
Hleb, the first Belarusian in club history has arrived at FC Barcelona
as the fifth new signing of the summer of 2008, after demonstrating his
qualities with both Stuttgart and Arsenal.

Born in Minsk
(Belarus) on May 1, 1981, Alexander Hleb joined Barcelona on July 16,
2008. Signed from Premiership outfit Arsenal, where he played for three
seasons, he was named the best player in his country in 2003, 2004,
2005, 2006 and 2007 consecutively.

Alexander Hleb started out
at FC Bate Borisov but at the tender age of 19, in the 2000/01 season
he was off to the Bundesliga. It was there he started making himself
known on the European stage with five seasons at Stuttgart from 2000/01
to 2004/05.

The Belarusian made an even bigger step forward in
2005 when he was picked up by London side Arsenal. He soon became a
regular part of manager Arsène Wenger’s plans, as the Gunners qualified
for a Champions League final losing to FC Barcelona in Paris), and it
was there he spent two seasons alongside Thierry Henry, who he rejoins
at FC Barcelona.

PROFILE

Renowned for
being ambidextrous, Hleb is a player who creates plenty of tactical
options due to his versatility and polyvalence. He is a midfielder but
likes to help out in attack and makes dangerous penetrating runs
through the middle.

He is used to pressure, is both athletic
and quick, and able to play on either of the two wings, playing wide or
more centrally, and is a frequent presence in the creation zone. He
reads the game well and is an artful passer of the ball.

HONOURS

Bate Borisov
1998/99 Belarusian League

Individual titles
2002 Belarusian player of the year
2003 Belarusian player of the year
2005 Belarusian player of the year
2006 Belarusian player of the year
2007 Belarusian player of the year

Touré Yaya



Gnégnéri
Touré Yaya is the first player from the Ivory Coast to play for FC
Barcelona and has brought with him immense international experience,
having played in four different leagues across Europe during his career.

Touré
Yaya (Sokoura Baouke, 13-05-1983) has had a remarkable route to Camp
Nou. At 18 he began his time in European football in Belgium with
Beveren, where he spent two-and-a-half years.

A transfer to
Metalurg Donetsk in Ukraine followed in 2003, where he spent 18 months
before opting to move on to Greece and join Olympiakos. During his year
in the Piraeus-based club he played alongside former Blaugrana stars,
Rivaldo, Haruna Babangida and Dani García as the team progressed in the
Champions League.

Last summer, Touré was on the move once
again as he signed for AS Monaco and went onto play 27 of the team's 34
league games during the 2006-07 campaign.

At international
level, the 24-year-old is a regular in the Ivory Coast side and
represented his country in their first ever appearance in the World Cup
Finals last summer in Germany. He also appeared in the African Cup of
Nations in the same year.

PROFILE

Touré
Yaya is the first player from the Ivory Coast to play for Barça and is
renowned for combining his strength and physical power in front of the
back four with great technique. He is usually employed as a defensive
midfielder and is capable of pushing forward to support the attack if
required, as well as being adept at passing the ball at speed to keep
moves flowing.

Despite standing at 1.87m-tall (6ft 2in), most
of his goals have not come from his head. During his year with Monaco
he netted five times in the league and nearly all of them came as he
attacked the ball from the second line or from long range efforts.

Sergi Busquets Burgos



Born
in Sabadell, he joined the Barça youth system in the summer of 2005
from Jabac. That season, playing for the Juvenil A side, he won three
major trophies in a team that also included the likes of Bojan,
Giovani, Jeffren and Marc Crosas.

In the 2006-07 season,
Sergi Busquets continued with Juvenil A and was one of the core players
in the side coached by Àlex Garcia. In his third year at the level, and
despite still being a midfielder, Sergi scored 7 goals in 26 games.

The
next season, Busquets was promoted to Barça B under Pep Guardiola. He
didn’t play until the 12th game, but from then on he managed to hold
down a regular place in the starting line-up, playing 23 games and
scoring two goals.

After playing with the first team in the
Copa Catalunya in the 2007-08 season and again in 2008-09, Sergi made
his league debut on September 13, 2008 against Racing (1-1). The player
started the match and played the full 90 minutes.

Sergi Busquets is the son of Carles Busquets, who played in goal for FC Barcelona in the 1990s.

PROFILE

Sergi
Busquets is a very complete midfielder renowned for his intelligence on
the field. Born in Sabadell, he positions himself well and is a good
reader of the game. Busquets adds security to the team because he
rarely gives the ball away and is also solid in his defensive duties.

He
is a versatile player and gets into goalscoring positions. His tactical
awareness and height (almost 190 cm) mean that despite his natural
position being in midfield, he can also play at centre back or centre
forward.

Seydou Keita



Seydou
Keita became FC Barcelona’s first signing of the 2007/2008 season. The
Mali player arrived from Seville to strengthen the azulgrana centre of
midfield.

Born in Bamako (Mali) in 1980, Seydou Keita
began to make a name for himself in European football in the French
league. He signed for Olympic Marseilles in 1999/2000 but only stayed
for one year without having had much luck. He moved to Lorient where he
spent two seasons and the French Cup. Then it was on to Lens where he
played for five seasons between 2003/04 and 2006/07. His final season
was spectacular and he scored eleven goals in 37 league games and was
named Ligue 1’s second best player behind Florent Malouda.

After
eight years in France, Keita signed for Seville in the summer of 2007
and was almost an ever-present during the 2007/08 season. He played in
31 of a possible 38 games, starting 29 of them. He scored four goals
and these showed that, amongst other qualities, he packs a powerful
shot from distance.

Seydou Keita has been a full international
for Mali since 2004. With ‘the Eagles’ he played in the 2008 African
Cup of Nations but Mali was eliminated in the first round.

However,
his career with his national side began at a young age and with good
results. In fact, Keita won the balon d’or as best player in the U-20
World Cup in Nigeria in 1999. Mali finished third in the competition,
which was won by a Spain side that included Xavi Hernández.

PROFILE

The
Mali midfielder is a player who perfectly combines physical strength
with technical ability and tactical awareness. Despite not being a
forward, Keita also possesses a great shot with his left foot,
especially from distance, which makes him a real threat to goalkeepers;
the fifteen goals he scored in the two years before joining Barça are
testament to that. The Malian has a lot to offer in midfield: he can
play in a holding role as well as behind the attackers and can also
play on the left.

HONOURS

Lorient
2001/02 French Cup

Individual Awards
1999 Player of the Tournament U-20 World Cup.

ATTACKERS:

Samuel Eto'o Fils



Samuel
Eto'o Fils made an impact on the world of football while still a
teenager. He has exceptional physical qualities and made the leap to
European football at the tender age of just 16 when Real Madrid signed
him up and loaned him out to Leganés.

At the age of 17
years and 3 months he became the youngest player at the 1998 World Cup
in France and was the only player who had been born in the '80's.

After
Leganés, he went on loan to RCD Espanyol (1998-1999) but played very
little and subsequently retuned to Real Madrid (1999-2000). In the
1999-00 season, he played a few times for RCD Mallorca, eventually
spending four seasons there (2000-04), with the Balearic Island club
sharing his rights with Real Madrid.

During his time with
Mallorca, he became the highest ever league goal scorer in the history
of the club, with 54 goals. He signed for Barca in the summer of 2004
for a transfer fee of 24 million euros after a long series of three-way
negotiations with RCD Mallorca and Real Madrid, thus becoming the first
Cameroonian player to defend the Barca colours. He made his debut for
FC Barcelona in the first game of the season at Ràcing Santander, on
August 29, 2004.

Since then, he has become a veritable goal
machine, scoring 25 times in his first season and making a huge
contribution to winning the championship. His goal against Levante
clinched the league title. He has needed just 67 matches to reach the
landmark figure of 50 goals, outstripping some of the great Barca
legends of the past.

Since he joined the Club he has been chosen
as African Player of the Year 2004, 2005 and 2006, and picked up third
place in the FIFA World Player 2005. He is a full international and one
of the outstanding players in the Cameroon team and has a huge popular
following in his country.

In the 2005-06 season, he was the top
scorer in the Spanish League with 26 goals. In the Champions League
Final on May 17 in Paris, it was Eto'o who scored Barcelona's equaliser
after the Blaugrana had gone a goal down to Arsenal.

CHARACTERISTICS

Fast,
strong and direct, Samuel Eto'o, who is 1.80 tall and weighs 75 kilos,
boasts considerable experience, despite still only being 23. He's a
committed player, whose hunger for goals never gets in the way of his
desire to do the best for his team.

Eto'o is fast footed and
capable of leaving his markers flailing behind him, with a strong shot
and is also an experienced penalty taker.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006-07 Spanish Supercup
2005-06 Champions League
2005-06 League
2005-06 Spanish Supercup
2004-05 League

Real Madrid
1997-98 Intercontinental Cup
1999-00 Champions League

Real Mallorca
2002-03 Spanish Cup

Cameroon
2008 African Cup runners up
2003 Confederation Cup runners up
2002 African Cup
2000 African Cup
2000 Gold medal Sidney Olympics

Individual Awards
2005-06 Spanish League top goalscorer
2004-05 Third place FIFA WORLD PLAYER
2004-05 African Player of the Year
2003-04 African Player of the Year
2002-03 African Player of the Year

Lionel Andrés Messi



This
Argentinian striker's footballing career started in 1995 at Newell's
Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel
Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona, and joined the
Under 14s.

Messi made spectacular progress at each of
the different age levels, climbing through the ranks of the different
youth teams and then Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in
record time.

In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16,
Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked
the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following
championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an
official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against
Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).

With several first team
players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players
were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads.
On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league
goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years,
10 months and 7 days old. That record would eventually be beaten by
Bojan.

At the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, Messi not only won
the title with Argentina, but was also the leading goalscorer and was
voted best player in the tournament. Aged 18 years, he had become one
of the hottest properties in the world game. Shortly after, he made his
first full international appearance in a friendly against Hungary.

His
breakthrough as a player came in the 2005-06 season, starting with an
amazing performance in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Juventus.
He was also outstanding at the Santiago Bernabéu, in Barcelona's
unforgettable 3-0 win, and also at Stamford Bridge, in the Champions
League match against Chelsea. Injury kept him sidelined for much of the
latter stage of the season. Messi played a total of 17 league games, 6
in the Champions League and 2 in the Copa del Rey. Messi scored eight
goals.

The following season Messi moved up a gear and
astounded the world with goals such as the one he scored against Getafe
in the King’s Cup. In the 2006/07 season, and even though the team
didn’t win any titles, the Argentine was second in the FIFA World
Player awards and third in the Golden Ball. He continued to develop in
the 2007/08 campaign, when he scored 16 goals and gave 10 assists in
the 40 games he played in.

Messi also regularly plays for
Argentina, appearing at the World Cup in 2006 and the Copa Amèrica in
2007. In the latter competition Argentina reached the final only to
lose to Brazil.

CHARACTERISTICS

Messi is
an unusual player. He is highly creative, and has the skills to take on
defenders with ease. He is a versatile left-footed player who can play
either in the middle or on either wing, or even as a centre forward.

Although
he is quite short, he is so fast and physically strong that he can cope
with larger opponents. He is incredibly powerful, and a specialist in
such dead ball situations as corners, free kicks and penalties.

Leo
Messi is cool-headed and able to assume several responsibilities in
times of need. He is a player who is destined to have a very successful
career in football.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 League
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 League

Argentinian National Team
2004/05 World Cup Under-20
2008 Gold Medal Beijing'08

Bojan Krkic Pérez



Bojan
Krkic joins the senior squad for the 2006-07 season at the tender age
of 16. In just one year he has progressed from the youth side to Barça
B and now the first team.

Bojan Krkic was born in
Linyola (Catalonia) on 28th August 1990. In just one season, from
2006-07 to 2007-08, this promising young forward has made the leap from
Juvenil A to the first team. Along the way he played the second part of
the season with Barça B in Second Division B.

Bojan joined
Barça in 1999 becoming part of the Benjamí A boys squad. His rise
through the ranks of the Barça academy teams was meteoric: Aleví B
(2000-01), Aleví A (2001-02), Infantil B (2002-03), Infantil A
(2003-04) and Cadet B (2004-05). He started the 2005-06 season with the
Cadet A team but was soon promoted up to Juvenil A. The pattern was
repeated in the 2006-07 season, which he began with Juvenil A and
finished with Barça B.

During his half season with Barça B, he scored 10 goals and became the team’s top scorer.

He
really arrived on the scene in 2007. He played in the European Under-17
Championship with Spain, both winning the tournament and scoring the
winner against England in the final (1-0); he made his debut with
Barça’s first team in a friendly played in Egypt, scoring once; and
finally he made his debut with Spain’s Under-21 side at the age of just
16. A year to remember to be sure.

Bojan began the 2007/08
preseason with the first team. However, he couldn’t go on the club’s
Asia tour as he was called up for the World Under-17 Cup in South
Korea, where he notched 5 goals and Spain finished as runners-up.

Back
in Barcelona, he began to get time on the pitch with Rijkaard in both
the League and the Champions League. He set new records as Barça’s
youngest player in the Champions League (on 19 September 2007 against
Olympique de Lyon, when aged 17 years and 22 days); Barça’s youngest
goalscorer (against Villarreal on 20 October in the same year, aged 17
years, 1 month and 22 days); and the second youngest goalscorer in the
Champions League (aged 17 years and 217 days when he scored against
Schalke 04, just 22 days later than Oforiquaye, the youngest goalscorer
in the Champions League).

Thus the 2007/08 season consolidated
Bojan as one of the finest strikers in the League, in which he scored
10 goals and was in the starting line-up 14 times.

PROFILE

Bojan
is fast and has the ability to go past his marker. Despite his youth,
he is used to dealing with defenders that are stronger and more
experienced than him. His bursts of speed and his skill with the ball
at his feet are two of his virtues. However, his main strength is his
killer instinct in front of goal.

HONOURS

Spain
2007 European under-17 Champion
2007 World Cup under-17 Runner-up

Thierry Henry



Thierry
Henry is considered to be one of the best forwards in world football
over the past decade. Elegance, ability and effectiveness are his main
assets.

Born in Les Ulis (France) on August 17, 1977, he
made his debut in top flight football with Monaco during the 1994-95
campaign, aged just 17. He began to show some of his ability on the
right wing for the Principality-based outfit. After a brief spell at
Juventus in 1998-99, Henry joined Arsenal, where he went on to show his
true colours and become one of the best players in the history of the
north London club.

Having moved into the centre of attack,
Henry proved how lethal he was in front of goal at Arsenal even though
he became known for drifting out to both flanks to pull his markers
across the field. With him in the side, the label of 'Boring Arsenal'
was forgotten as the Gunners became an attractive, attacking force in
the Premiership and in Europe.

During his time in England he
broke virtually every Arsenal club record. He became the Gunners' top
goalscorer of all time with 214 goals and became the record scorer in
the Premiership (since it was formed in 1992) with 164 goals as well as
finishing as the scorer in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006).

His
immense trophy haul includes a World Cup winners' medal as he was a
member of the successful French squad in 1998. Two years after that he
helped his country to win the European Championships in Belgium and
Holland and then added the Confederations Cup to his collection in
2003. With over a hundred international caps, on 18 October 2007 he
beat Michel Platini’s record of 41 goals for France.

At club
level, Henry helped Arsenal win the Premiership twice (2002 and 2004)
and the FA Cup on three occasions (2002, 2003 and 2005). On a personal
note, he finished as Europe's top goalscorer and picked up the Golden
Boot in 2004 and 2005.

He was Barça’s top scorer in the
2007/08 season, with 19 goals in the Champions League, League and
King’s Cup. He is also one of the top suppliers of assists. Frank
Rijkaard, who played him in 30 League games, regularly lined him up on
the left wing.

PROFILE

Speed and
technique are two of Henry's main characteristics, which he allies with
efficiency and elegance. He is considered to be one of the most skilful
players in the game with the ball at his feet as well as being an
extremely intelligent footballer.

Despite having been moulded
into a central striker under Arsène Wenger, Henry can play across the
front line, which could well prove to be very useful as he vies for a
place in the Barça team with Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi
during the 2007-08 season.

HONOURS

Arsenal
2004/05 FA Cup
2004/05 Community Shield
2003/04 League
2002/03 FA Cup
2002/03 Community Shield
2001/02 FA Cup
2001/02 League

Monaco
1996/97 League

France
2006 World Cup runner-up
2003 Confederations Cup
2000 European Championship
1998 World Cup

Individual awards
2005/06 Premiership top goalscorer
2004/05 Premiership top goalscorer
2004/05 Golden Boot
2003/04 Premiership top goalscorer
2003/04 Golden Boot
2001/02 Premiership top goalscorer

Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma



The
winger was born in Santa Cruz, Tenerife and did not move to FC
Barcelona until August 2004 after starting his career with CD San
Isidro.

Last season, Pedro enjoyed first team experience
when he participated in the league games against Real Murcia in the
19th round of games and against Real Valladolid in the 29th round.

He
was also a key player for the Barça B team that won promotion as he
made 36 appearances and scored six goals. Pep Guardiola knows all about
his ability and had no doubts when calling him up to join in pre-season
with the first team. Despite mainly being left-footed, Pedro can strike
the ball equally well with his right.

Coaching Staff 2008/2009

MANAGER:

Josep Guardiola



Josep
Guardiola i Sala was born at Santpedor (Barcelona) on 18 January 1971.
After a long and successful playing career and a brilliant season in
charge of Barça B, in the summer of 2008 he took over as first team
coach at the club.

After having been one of the most
important players in Barça’s history, Josep Guardiola is the new coach
for the 2008/09 season, replacing Frank Rijkaard after two seasons with
no major titles.

Previously he was coach of FC Barcelona’s
reserves, tasked with taking the side back into the Third Division
after relegation the previous season. That he did with impressive
authority: 28 victories, 9 draws and 5 defeats. In the final play-offs
his side saw off Castillo and Barbastre with an overall balance of 9
goals in favour and none against.

Under Guardiola, Barça ‘B’
didn’t lose a single game at home and developed a playing style
characterised by defensive pressure, playing wide and using set pieces.
Guardiola’s young players became more flexible and intense with a
spirit of playing for the team. This ability to play a more all-round
game was also seen in the system used, which could be switched from
3-4-3 to 4-3-3 quite easily as a flexible response to the challenges
posed by any rival.

Guardiola is the fifteenth Catalan to be FC Barcelona’s first team coach.

Before
going into management, Guardiola was a class footballer who played
almost all his career at FC Barcelona before going on to spells in
Italy, Qatar and Mexico. He was at the Catalan club from when he joined
its youth academy in 1984 until he left for Italy.

Among the
trophies he won at Barça are six leagues (1990-91, 91-92, 92-93, 93-94,
97-98 and 98-99), a European Cup (91-92), a Cup Winners’ Cup (96-97)
and two King’s Cups (96-97 and 97-98). During all this time Guardiola
was the team’s organiser in his traditional number 4 shirt.

In
Italy’s Serie A he made his debut with Brescia in the 2001-02 season,
followed by a year with Roma before going back to Lombardy. Later on he
went further afield to Al-Ahly in Qatar for two seasons (2003-04 and
2004-05) and Dorados de Sinaloa (Mexico), where he hung up his boots
for the final time in 2006.

ASSISTANT MANGER: Tito Vilanova
GOALKEEPING COACH: Juan Carlos Unzué
FITNESS COACH: Lorenzo Buenaventura / Paco Seirul•lo / Aureli Altamira / Francesc Cos
DOCTORS: Ricard Pruna / Daniel Medina
REPRESENTATIVE: Carles Naval
PHYSIOLOGIST: Esteban Gorostiaga
PODIATRIST: Martín Rueda
PHYSIOTHERAPISTS: David Álvarez / Jaume Munill / Emili Ricart / Juanjo Brau