“I’m sure Barça will continue to win titles”

Marc Guillén/Roger Bogunyà

Dmytro Chygrynskiy believes Barça “offer the best football in the world” and is “sure the club will continue to win titles, improving and growing.”In an interview with Barça TV and fcbarcelona.cat, the first ever Ukrainian to play for FC Barcelona has spoken about such topics as his admiration for Luis Enrique and Iniesta and the way he has always been fascinated by Barça.

Welcome. I suppose your first few days with Barça have been long ones.
“They have been very emotional days, since I landed in Barcelona I have been astounded by the way Barça and the fans have treated me. It has all been very nice.”

How did the negotiations go?
“I have to be a realist, ever since I learned of Barça’s interest I remained prudent. In fact I only started believing it once it was official, before that it was all just rumours.”

What was it like playing in the Super Cup against your future team?
“It was quite a strange game, but I was still part of Shakhtar and so I couldn’t allow myself to play at half strength. I had to play as well as I could as a Shakhtar player, to act responsibly.”

What do you know about Barça? Did you watch them last year?
“Of course I know about Barça, it is a well-known club with a huge army of fans. That’s why I have always followed this club, both in terms of its results and in terms of the players in the team.”

Is there any past or present player that you have admired?
“A player I’d single out, from about 7 or 8 years ago, was Luis Enrique. As for the current players, they’re my colleagues so I don’t want to say I like one player better than another. I think all the players are professionals and very good. But the first time I played against Barça, a year ago, I was impressed by the way Iniesta played.”

Do you know Luis Enrique also wore 21?
“No, I didn’t know Luis Enrique had the same shirt number as I do. It’s nice to know, I like that.”

Do you think the way Barça play will suit you?
“Barça play the best football in the world right now. I am sure the club will continue to win titles, growing, improving. And I am sure players’ careers progress much faster when they play for a club like Barça.”

Did the Barça philosophy have any effect on Shakhtar?
“As players, we didn’t know much about the tactical nuances of Barça, but we followed the team, its results, and they were a model for us. One of the reasons I am here is precisely because our way of playing is not so different from that of Barça.”

Tell us briefly about how you started in football.
“I’ve always played football. It’s as if I was born with the ball in my hands, if I can put it like that. I come from a small city and as a kid I played wherever I could. There was a school in my town, but it was small. When I was thirteen I went to study in a more professional school, I made a lot of progress there and when I was 14 I joined the Shakhtar youth set-up.”

Curiously, your first European game was against Barça.
“Life brings these odd coincidences. It must be symbolic that when I was 17 or 18 my first five minutes were against Barça. I like to think that in a certain way it was destiny and that’s why I am where I am now.”

Ibra pleased with first goal

Anna Segura

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was delighted to score his first official goal for FC Barcelona as he added the third in a convincing win against Sporting de Gijón on Monday evening in Camp Nou.

The Swedish striker made it 3-0 when he dived forward to head home from close range and he was pleased to have opened his account even though he admitted afterwards that he is still looking to find his rhythm after missing a lot of pre-season with a hand injury.
"The team helped me a lot," he said. "I still do not feel 100 per cent, but I am happy because I have played for 90 minutes and bit-by-bit I am finding my level again."

Xavi
"We came off the back of winning two Super Cups and it was not easy. It was a game that could have caused us problems, but we gave everything we had."
"It was a game that could have caught us out. Sporting play well, but the team has not complicated matters for ourselves."
"In general we played well and played with humility."
"Ibra is a goalscorer and he likes to score. It is his first goal for Barça and we are happy for him because he is doing well."

Dani Alves
"It was very important to win today because all our rivals in the league had already done so."
"Ibra has just arrived and it is important for him to be calm and to know that the goals will come."
"I am sure that if we do things well then we will only have ourselves to worry about."

Gerard Piqué
"We have maintained the same routine as last year. The only thing we thought about was winning."
"The set pieces we worked on on the day of the game and they worked. All the work that we did last year and this is building up. At times we need to use set pieces."
"It is normal that the team was a bit tired after the Super Cup, but I thought that we did well and we were quickly able to take control."
"The team played to a great level and I do not think tiredness was a factor."

Seydou Keita
"It was difficult playing after Monaco, which was a hard pitch and the game was 120 minutes long."
"We wanted Ibra to score because he needed to. If he can adapt quickly it will be better for the team."
"To play for Barça you need to adapt to the style, but I am delighted with things now."

Alberto Botia (Barça player on loan at Sporting)
"I was lucky to make my debut at Camp Nou even though it was not for Barça.
"We played against the best team in the world and it is very difficult to beat them."

Magic, goals and class for Barça

www.fcbarcelona.cat

A skilful and physically imposing footballer, an all-round goal scorer. That would be a quick and concise definition of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Barça’s second signing of the season. Ibracadabra’ is coming to the Camp Nou to continue working his own bra

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was born in Malmö (Sweden) of a Bosnian father and a Croatian mother on 3rd October 1981. He joins Barça at the height of his career and is recognized as one of the most lethal strikers in European football. He is one of that rare breed of total footballers: he’s deadly in the air, fast, effective in front of goal and mesmerizing with the ball at his feet. His style of football makes his team-mates play better.

Technique and power

Ibrahimovic has always stood out as a skilful player, scoring some amazing goals and displaying tremendous creativity. That’s why he’s known in Italy as ‘Ibracadabra’. He stands 1.92 metres tall and combines great technique with a powerful physique, making him particularly feared by defenders in the air, as well as making it difficult to take the ball away from him.

In short, the Swedish international is the perfect modern centre forward and goal scorer. Last season he scored 25 goals in the Italian league with Inter Milan.

Ajax at the age of 19

zlatan-ajax.jpgIbrahimovic started his career with Malmö before moving on to Ajax in 2001, where he joined up with Barça team-mate Maxwell. Here he started to get noticed on a bigger footballing stage and gave indications of becoming a world class star despite his youth. For part of his time at Ajax his manager was former Barça star Ronald Koeman.

The Italian league

After three seasons in Holland, where he won two league titles, the Cup and two Dutch Super Cups, Ibrahimovic signed for Italian giants Juventus, staying there for two seasons from 2004 to 2006. When Juventus were relegated to the second division as a result of the “Moggigate” scandal, he signed for Inter Milan.

Three successful seasons with Inter Milan

Ibrahimovic won three league titles and two Italian Super Cups with Inter Milan and has been an essential part of the starting line-up under both Mancini and Mourinho.

Ibrahimovic is also a key member of the Sweden international team and has been voted his country’s best player on three occasions (2005, 2007and 2008).

Ibrahimovic signs five-year contract

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic put pen to paper earlier this evening and agreed a five-year contract with the club in a deal which also sees Samuel Eto’o sign for Inter and Alexander Hleb move on loan.

At about quarter past seven this evening Zlatan Ibrahimovic officially became a Barca player after signing the contract that brings him to the club for the next five years.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, accompanied by his agent Mino Raiola, signed the contract in Joan Laporta’s office with the President, Txiki Begiristain and club Vice-President Rafael Yuste representing the club.

46 million plus Eto’o and Hleb

2009-07-27_FIRMA_IBRAHIMOVIC_04.jpgBarça will pay 46 million Euros to Inter, as well as Eto’o, valued at 20 million and the loan of Alexander Hleb for a season. If Inter wish to sign the Belarus midfielder after his loan period, they have a first option to buy at 10 million Euros, plus 2 million according to appearances and results.

Ibrahimovic’s buy-out clause has been set at 250 million Euros.

Club awaiting Eto’o response to new contract offer

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FC Barcelona are awaiting a response from Samuel Eto’o to their offer of a two-year contract extension. The contract would give the Cameroon striker two more years at the club, whilst maintaining the same salary.

The club made the offer yesterday evening once the player’s agent had made clear Eto’o’s desire to stay at the Nou Camp. If he accepts the new deal, Eto’o’s contract will run until June 30th 2012.

In a press conference held earlier today, Eto’o’s agent Josep Maria Mesalles explained that Eto’o “wants to stay and play out the year he still has left on his contract. He feels he can be useful at the club, but if the club or the manager doesn’t want him, he would be prepared to leave”.

Mesalles went on to confirm that Eto’o had been informed of the club’s new offer by phone, but that he wished to consult with him in person before giving a public response.

Alves adds to honours

David Puig / Jordi Clos

The Confederations Cup is Dani Alves’s 11th title between clubs and national teams. Only Henry, Eto'o and Márquez in the Barça squad have more.

He’s only 26, but Dani Alves has already picked up an enviable amount of silverware. The Confederations Cup won on Sunday with Brazil comes in addition to the Spanish Cup and League and the Champions League he helped Barça to win in May.

More titles with Seville, Brazil and SC Bahía

celebraciones_1.jpgIn addition to the competitions won in 2009 Alves also won two UEFA Cups, a European Super Cup, the Spanish Cup and the Spanish Super Cup with Seville. Playing for Brazil he won the Copa América in 2007. Finally he won the Brazilian Interestatal title in 2002 with his first team Sporte Clube Bahía. That means he’s racked up eleven team titles with clubs and his national side.

Most honours

The Barça players who have won most titles are Thierry Henry (15) and Samuel Eto'o (14). They are closely followed by Rafa Márquez on 13. Behind Alves comes Xavi Hernández (10) and then Leo Messi, Carles Puyol and Andrés Iniesta, who have 9 each.

Barça players do well in South Africa

Gerard Piqué played the most minutes in the Confederations Cup while Dani Alves was the only Barça player to score a goal.

The five Barça players who took part in the Confederations Cup were key in their teams though none played in all the matches. Gerard Piqué had most match time while Dani Alves was the only one to score despite playing least.

Piqué cements place

pique_spain_2.jpgGerard Piqué spent the most time on the pitch out of the four Barça players called up by Vicente Del Bosque, racking up 360 minutes. Piqué played in four complete games against Iraq and South Africa in the group stages, the semi-final against the US and the third and fourth place play-off against the host team. The Confederations Cup has cemented his place as an international and demonstrates that Barça have one of the world’s best defenders.

Puyol next

Carles Puyol is next in the list with 270 minutes against New Zealand and South Africa in the group stages and the semi-final against the US. Xavi Hernàndez, who missed the third and fourth place play-off with an allergy, clocked up 224 minutes against New Zealand, Iraq and the US, starting in each game.

Xavi next

Carles Puyol is next in the list with 270 minutes against New Zealand and South Africa in the group stages and the semi-final against the US. Xavi Hernàndez, who missed the third and fourth place play-off with an allergy, clocked up 224 minutes against New Zealand, Iraq and the US, starting in each game.

New experience for Busquets

Though he was only on the pitch for 179 minutes, Sergio Busquets has had a great experience in his first competition with the national side. The young midfielder was in the starting XI against South Africa in the group stages and in the third and fourth place play-off. He also came on for Xavi in the 81st minute against Iraq.

Alves only Barça goal scorer

Dani Alves was the only Barça player to score a goal when his strike against South Africa put Brazil in the final. He played in three games, starting only one against Egypt in the first match and remaining on the pitch for the full 90 minutes. After not playing against Italy and the US in the group stages, he then had nine minutes in the semi-final against South Africa and came on for André Santos in the 65th minute of the final against the US.

Bronze in the end (3-2)

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Spain, with Piqué and Sergio Busquets in the starting XI, have come third in the Confederations Cup. Del Bosque’s side won in extra-time after 90 minutes’ play ended at 2-2 in an exciting finish.

Spain have won the Confederations Cup third and fourth place play-off against tournament hosts South Africa. After a slow start, the Spanish picked up the tempo of the game especially at the end of the second half.

Piqué and Busquets are starters

Despite speculation that coach Vicente del Bosque might give match time to players who haven’t had as many opportunities so far, there were few changes to the starting line-up. Both Xavi, who has had an allergy, and Puyol stayed on the bench, while the other two Barça players, Piqué and Busquets, were starters.

Poor first half

The early part of the game lacked rhythm and few chances were created. After David Villa saw his effort saved by the South African keeper, the other clear chance didn’t come along until 30 minutes later, evidence of the poor football on display in the first half.

Bronze in the end (3-2)

Spain, with Piqué and Sergio Busquets in the starting XI, have come third in the Confederations Cup. Del Bosque’s side won in extra-time after 90 minutes’ play ended at 2-2 in an exciting finish.

Spain have won the Confederations Cup third and fourth place play-off against tournament hosts South Africa. After a slow start, the Spanish picked up the tempo of the game especially at the end of the second half.

Piqué and Busquets are starters

Despite speculation that coach Vicente del Bosque might give match time to players who haven’t had as many opportunities so far, there were few changes to the starting line-up. Both Xavi, who has had an allergy, and Puyol stayed on the bench, while the other two Barça players, Piqué and Busquets, were starters.

Busquets goal disallowed

At the start of the second half Sergio Busquets had a goal disallowed for a non-existent offside, although it did show that Spain were getting into the game. However, the first gaol came from the hosts’ Mphela who stuck the ball past Casillas in the 74th minute.

Praise for Messi

Laporta was full of praise for one of Barcelona’s top stars, Leo Messi. “He’s the best there’s ever been, Barça’s ‘Messiah’,” said the club chairman. Another name to come up in the conversation was Mascherano, a great friend of Leo Messi’s and one of the other players Barça have been interested in. “We have the best midfield, but Touré and Keita will be off to the African Cup of Nations,” noted Laporta.
Laporta: “Eto'o has a stratospheric offer”
Taste in music
‘Tarda Tardà', presented by the music expert Jordi Tardà, is one of the best programmes around for rock lovers. During their conversation, Joan Laporta revealed his taste in music: “Music can help you to overcome situations and grow as a person... music tames the beast”. His favourite singers include Bruce Springsteen and Catalan artist Joan Manel Serrat.