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.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Victor Sánchez Mata

Name: Victor Sánchez Mata
Position: Defender
Date of Birth: 08-09-1987
Place of Birth: Terrassa
Height: 174 cm
Weight: 73 kg

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.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Sergio Busquets Burgos

Name: Sergi Busquets Burgos
Position: Midfielder
Date of Birth: 16-07-1988
Place: Sabadell (Barcelona)
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 73 kg

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. His excellent form for Barça took him to the Spain national team. He made his international debut on 1st April 2009 against Turkey (1-2) in the Ali Sami Yen stadium.

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.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma

Name: Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma
Position: Forward
Date of Birth: 28-07-1987
Place of Birth: Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 64 kg

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.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Albert Jorquera Fortia

Name: Albert Jorquera Fortià
Position: goalkeeper
Place of birth: Bescanó (Girona)
Date: 03-03-1979
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 77 kg

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
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

Touré Yaya

Name: Gnégnéri Yaya Touré
Position: midfielder
Place of birth: Sokoura Bouake (Ivory Coast)
Date: 13-5-1983
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 90 kg

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.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Éric Abidal

Name: Éric Abidal
Position: defense
Place of birth: Lyon (France)
Date: 11-9-1979
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 75 kg

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

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

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

Alexander Paulavic Hleb

Name: Alexander Hleb
Position: midfielder
Place of birth: Minsk (Belarus)
Date: 01-05-1981
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 74 kg

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

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

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
2008 Belarusian player of the year

Daniel Alves da Silva

Name: Daniel Alves da Silva
Position: defender
Place of birth: Juazeiro (Brazil)
Date: 6-5-1983
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 64 kg
Official website: http://www.danialves20.com/eo/

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

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

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

Gabriel Alejandro Milito

Name: Gabriel Alejandro Milito
Position: defense
Place of birth: Bernal (Argentina)
Date: 7-9-1980
Height: 179 cm
Weight: 78 kg

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

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

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

Silvio Mendes Campos, Sylvinho

Name: Sylvio Mendes Campos
Position: defender
Place of birth: Sao Paulo (Brasil)
Date of birth: 12-04-1974
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 66 kg

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
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

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

Seydou Keita

Name: Seydou Keita
Position: Midfielder
Place of Birth: Bamako (Mali)
Date: 16-01-1980
Height: 1.83 m
Weight: 77 kg

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

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Lorient
2001/02 French Cup

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

Thierry Henry

Name: Thierry Henry
Position: forward
Place of birth: Les Ulis (France)
Date: 17-8-1977
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 83 kg

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

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

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

José Manuel Pinto Colorado

Name: José Manuel Pinto Colorado
Position: Goalkeeper
Place of Birth: Puerto de Santa Maria (Cádiz)
Date of Birth: 08-11-1975
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 82 kg

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 8, 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

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

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

Individual Awards
2005/06 Spanish League Zamora

Bojan Krkic Pérez

Name: Bojan Krkic Pérez
Position: forward
Place of birth: Linyola (Lleida)
Date of birth: 28-08-1990
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 65 kg

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

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

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

Lionel Andrés Messi

Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
Position: forward
Place of birth: Santa Fe (Argentina)
Date: 24-06-1987
Heignt: 1'69
Weight: 67

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. In 2008, Leo Messi was runner up in the FIFA WORLD PLAYER AWARD for the second season in a row.

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
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

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

Samuel Eto'o Fils

Name: Samuel Eto'o Fils
Position: delantero
Place of birth: Nkon (Cameroon)
Date: 10-03-1981
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 75 kg

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
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

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

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

Andrés Iniesta Lujan

Name: Andrés Iniesta Luján
Position: midfielder
Place of birth: Fuentealbilla (Albacete)
Date: 11-05-1984
Height: 1'70
Weight: 65
Official website: www.andresiniesta.es/

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
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

Spanish national team
2008 European Championship

Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen

Name: Eidur Gudjohnsen
Position: forward
Place of birth: Reykjavik (Island)
Date: 15-09-1978
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 82 kg

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
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
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

Xavier Hernandez Creus

Name: Xavier Hernández Creus
Position: midfielder
Place of birth: Terrassa (Barcelona)
Date: 25-01-1980
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 68 kg

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 2008 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 midfielder from Terrassa was one of the final candidates for the FIFA WORLD PLAYER AWARD 2008, finally finishing in fifth place.

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
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga
1998/99 Liga

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