News of Antoni Ramallets’ passing is a hard blow to the Club and Barça fans. The news has prompted an outpour of condolences and messages of sorrow. President Sandro Rosell, who noted the Club’s tribute to the late Ramallets in April, declared:

“Today is a very sad day for barcelonismo. The legend Antoni Ramallets has left us, the great keeper of the Barça that won the Five Cups. He was admired by generations of Culés and he’s always been a leader to our players. People and athletes like Ramallets contributed to making this Club great and they’ve reinforced the Blaugrana feeling. A couple of months ago, when the Club and the Barça Players Association paid tribute to [Ramallets], I had the chance to have a long talk with him at his home in Sant Joan de Mediona. I told him how he’s recognised by Barça members and fans, that we will be eternally grateful for his contribution to Barça’s greatness. In these moments of grief, I want to express my condolences to his family for their loss and send them all of our support.

Other reactions to Antoni Ramallets' passing:

Acompaño en el sentimiento a toda la familia de mi buen amigo Antonio Ramallets. Para siempre en mi corazón.... http://t.co/IbF6Imm36K

— Victor Valdes (@1victorvaldes) July 30, 2013

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FC Barcelona and EA SPORTS have announced today an agreement by which the leading brand in digital sports entertainment will become the club’s exclusive and official videogame partner for the next three years. Through this association, EA SPORTS has performed 3D scans of the faces of such FC Barcelona players as Xavi, Piqué, Fàbregas, Alves and Iniesta to produce stunning, high-quality and authentic models that will be used in FIFA 14, the latest version of the company’s football game, which will be officially released next September.

Barça’s Leo Messi will be the main protagonist of the new version of the game. The Argentinian striker will be appearing on the box cover and will also feature in the global marketing and communication campaign to present the new product. FC Barcelona will also host an exclusive videogame tournament to determine the best FIFA 14 player on the squad. Through this partnership, FC Barcelona and EA SPORTS will also be developing a series of interactive activities to entertain and engage fans both at the Camp Nou and around the world. For example, at selected home matches over the course of the season, the EA SPORTS Dugout, a mobile gaming trailer, will be on-site so fans can play EA SPORTS games.

“We are extremely excited to join a world class football club like Barcelona as an Official Club Partner,” said Matt Bilbey, Senior Vice President and Group General Manager of EA SPORTS. “This is an opportunity for us to create a deeper connection with their passionate, global fan base, and use our games as a platform to engage their supporters all around the world.”

Meanwhile FC Barcelona commercial and marketing director Laurent Colette spoke about how pleased he is with the new agreement. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with EA SPORTS, one of the world's leading sports and entertainment brands, and to create a stronger relationship between our global fan bases” he said. “We hope everyone tries this game and finds out what it is like to be put in the shoes of our stars, and to play like they do on the pitch. I’m sure they’ll have a great time.”

FCB forms part of a series of football clubs that are partnering the brand, including some of the leading teams in Europe’s biggest leagues (Valencia from the Spanish Liga; Tottenham and Manchester City from the English Premier League; Borussia Dortmund from the German Bundesliga; Olympique Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain from Ligue 1 in France, and AC Milan of Italy’s Serie A).

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises and award-winning interactive technology. It creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading videogames including Madden NFL football, FIFA, NHL Hockey, NBA Live Basketball, Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf, and many others. FIFA 14, featuring innovations that make the gameplay more authentic and even more fun, will be released on September 24th in the USA and on the 27th in the rest of the world, although it is already available for pre-order on selected platforms such as www.origin.com and other retailers.

For more information and to Pre-order FIFA 14, click here

FC Barcelona members and peñistas (Supporters Club members) are now able to experience and enjoy the second edition of the Festa Barça. Vice-president of the Social Area, Jordi Cardoner, kicked off the festivities at noon at the Camp Nou. The second edition of Festa Barça is scheduled to run through Friday, August 2. “The sensations are very good, there are a lot of activities designed for children; it serves for the youngsters to have their own space,” explained Cardoner.

The vice-president was accompanied by the director of New Technologies Dídac Lee, the director of La Masia Carles Folguera and the chief of the Social Area Pau Vilanova. The retinue of Barça executives inspected the Festa Barça installations and talked with the attending Club members and peñistas.

Privileged visit

“Visiting the old Masia building is the main course of the Fest Barça. It’s in the same condition the players left it in, it’s a great opportunity to see it,” said Cardoner. Every 30 minutes a bus service transports Club members and peñistas from the esplanade of the Camp Nou to the old Masia. Guillermo Amor, director of Barça’s youth system, was among the visitors on the inaugural tour and he was tasked with the honour of cutting the ribbon to the building. The tour started with the kitchen, and then moved to the dining room, and then to the game room where Messi, Iniesta and many other Barça stars once spent time together.

The Festa Barça is open today until 23.00, on Thursday the festivities start at 11.00 and close at 23.00, on Friday from 11.00 to 15.00.

Colombia and Sèrbia will play a friendly international at the Mini Estadi on August 14th at 20.00. José Néstor Pékerman will use the game as preparation for the two World Cup South American group stage games against Ecuador and Uruguay in September.

Colombia have climbed four places in the FIFA rankings following their good results in the qualifying round for next summer’s World Cup Finals in Brazil. With 23 points, Colombia are just three behind leaders Argentina, who have played one more game. A win would ensure a place in the finals for Colombia.

Serbia's chances of making Brazil are not so good and they currently lie third in their qualifying group, nine points behind Croatia and 12 off leaders Belgium.

Tickets for the game are available from the Club Ticket Offices at gate 14 from August 1st and on match day from the ticket office at the Gol Nord. Tickets are priced at 15 Euros behind the goals, 20 in the stand and 25 in the main stand.

 International experience at the Mini

The Mini Estadi has staged a number of international matches - both friendly games and qualifying matches over its 30 year history, most recently Poland's 3-0 win in a friendly in 2005. Holland also beat Andorra 3-0 in a 2004 World Cup qualification game.

The funeral was held this Thursday morning of Barça's legendary keeper from the 1950s, Antoni Ramallets, who passed away on Tuesday aged 89. A large party from the Club attended the service at the Sant Joan de Mediona church, headed by President Sandro Rosell

First team coach Tata Martino, the four team captains -Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta and Valdés- coaches Jordi Roura, Aureli Altimira and De la Fuente. attended the service in the small Alt Penedes village, as did the vice-president of the social area Jordi Cardoner, director of football Andoni Zubizarreta and board asessors Carles Rexach and Josep Maria Fusté. Many ex-players also attended, alongside ex-presidents  Josep Lluís Núñez and Joan Laporta.

Barça anthem played as a farewell

At the family's request, the service ended with the playing of the Barça anthem, before the Club authorities paid their respects to Ramallets' children. The village of Sant Joan de Mediona also showed their respect, with many balconies draped with Barça and Catalan flags.

President Sandro Rosell has spoken to over a thousand supporters club members about the progress made last season and the general situation at the club. He started by discussing the change of manager, saying that “it has been a very tough preseason and it was very sad to learn that we shall no longer be enjoying the presence of Tito. It has been a privilege to work with a coach like him. Everyone involved in Barça is here for him and we wish him a safe recovery.” His comment was met with rapturous applause.

He also mentioned Tito’s successor: “Tata isn’t that well known in Europe, but we’ll be getting to know him. He’s the right coach and person” he said. “Everyone who has interacted with him has been delighted. He’s a very good coach, he likes our model and he can make fresh improvements to it.”

One more to come

The president also spoke about Neymar and the possibilities offered by his relationship with Leo Messi: “They understand each other as people and I suppose they will understand each other on the field as well … Messi is ultra-motivated right now, the doctors say they’ve never seen him in better shape. He’s always cheerful in training. He’s our leader.” Rosell ended his discussion of sporting issues with the revealing comment that “there is one more new signing still to come,” although he didn’t give away any names.

Financial recovery

He then moved on to the club’s economic situation. “We are still recovering, but we’ve started generating a profit again” he said. “We’ll continue reducing the debt. We found ourselves 500 million in the red and the aim is to reduce that by 300 million to 200 million by the end of our mandate”. He also stressed the increase in assets and how “for the first time in many years we have positive equity … We own more than what we owe and that’s a very important ratio in order to ensure credibility”.

Socially and institutionally strong

2012/13 was also a big year in social terms. Rosell summarised all the different activities, laying particular emphasis on the future referendum on the proposals to restructure the Camp Nou, as well as the drafting of new statutes and the updating of the census. “The Social Area is very healthy” he concluded.

The president also touched on institutional affairs, including the imminent trip to Israel and Palestine, saying that “we want to do our little bit for peace … We are a transversal club.” He also commented that “out of respect for our roots, we wanted to honour the 300^th anniversary of 1714 by having a second strip in the colours of the Catalan flag.” Those words received one of the biggest ovations of the day.

The video of the best youth goals, watched 740,411 times was the most popular on the FC Barcelona Youtube Channel in July. It was followed by Tata Martino’s first training session (456,341), the advert for the Joan Gamper Trophy (185,305), Messi speaking about Ronaldinho (163,737) and the summary of Neymar’s first day at FC Barcelona (153,475). The latter was the fourth most watched video in July.

1.- The 20 best youth goals of 2012/13

2.- Tata Martino meets the full squad

3.- The advert for the Joan Gamper Trophy

4.- Messi: "I learned a lot from Ronaldinho"

5.- Neymar's first day at FC Barcelona

“We are the number one team in Israel and Palestine.” Javier Faus, FC Barcelona’s economic vice-president was describing why Barça have come to this part of the world. Market research, presence on social networks and television audiences are three of the sources that Faus can refer to in support of his comment. “We are very pleased with this visit because it’s a service to a very important community of Barça fans”, he told the media shortly before landing in Tel Aviv.

It was Faus who managed and coordinated this visit to the Holy Land, being called the ‘Peace Tour’. This has involved seven months of talks and four visits to both countries. “We first looked into the possibility of a friendly match against a team of Palestinians and Israelis. We spoke with the two presidents and eventually rejected the idea because of the political complexities in the region. The peace negotiations that have just started were not yet active at the time. Today, the game would be possible, but two months ago it would not have been.”

Given the impossibility of playing a fixture against Palestinians and Israelis, the club suggested two clinics with children in the region, and that was the solution they finally adopted. “These two clinics are mainly institutional in recognition of the support we have in Israel and Palestine and are particularly focused on children” said Faus. “The two stadiums will be full. All the tickets were distributed and Barça isn’t getting any money out of it. We wanted this to be a chance for children.”

Two objectives

Barça are going on this trip for institutional reasons, and there are no commercial benefits. In fact, the club is charging nothing for its presence for two days in the Holy Land, or for the tickets to watch the two clinics. “There are two reasons for the trip. The first is to do our little bit for peace, showing how sport and children can be used to bridges between the two communities. We’re not here on business, we’re not making anything out of this trip, but it will help to promote the club’s name, both among Arabs, an increasingly more important market for us, and among the Jewish community. It’s a good solution for everyone.”

FC Barcelona have been careful about their travel plans, and have tried to strike the right balance between what they’ll do in Israel and in Palestine. As Faus explained, “we have studied every miniscule detail of the events to make sure they last the same time and that the team does the same thing in each place. The president’s speeches will be equal in length and we’ll be receiving authorities of the same rank in both Israel and Palestine. We have looked long and hard at these aspects.”

No sooner had they crossed into Israel than the first Barça banners became visible in the streets of Bethlehem. There was huge expectation surrounding the visit by the FCB touring party.

As soon as they got off the coach, the players were surrounded by a swathe of adoring fans, including several children wearing Barça shirts. They headed for the Basilica of the Nativity, where it is believed that Jesus of Nazareth was born, and paid a visit to the temple. After greeting the senior religious figures in the town, they posed for a group photo outside the basilica.

Reception with Mahmoud Abbas

They then made their way to the headquarters of the Palestinian presidency for a private visit where they were received by president Mahmoud Abbas. Treated as if he were a head of state, Sandro Rosell was accompanied by the other members of the board, plus the players, and exchanged a few words and gifts with the Palestinian leader. Then Jibril Rjoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Association, spoke to the media and explained what a historic moment this is for his people. “We are hugely respectful of this visit being paid by Barça” he said. “It is big step towards our desire for peace”. He spoke about his high hopes for a future independent state of Palestine, and announced that if that day should ever come, then FC Barcelona would be the first team they’d be inviting to play.

President Sandro Rosell thanked him for the affection shown by the Palestinian people, saying “Barça will do everything we can to do our little bit to help resolve this conflict and achieve peace”. And after seeing so many children wearing Barça shirts, he also had some special words for younger Palestinians.

FC Barcelona has launched more than 10 official apps since 2010. Here is a selection of the most successful products:

FCB StreetRun: Help your favourite player get to the Camp Nou. Run, slide and jump through the streets of Barcelona as you try to escape from a group of crazy fans. Collect the power-ups you find on the race and become the city’s speed king. Can you get to the Camp Nou? Become a real FCB Street Runner!

FCB Street Run

FCB iCroms Evolution: Pit your cards against opponents all around the world. Line up your best trading cards, develop your players with special skills, and compete for top place in daily Leagues and Tournaments. And show you’re the best in quick, fun matches.

FCB iCroms

FCB Fitness: Surpass your own limits with the help of the FC Barcelona players! Complete the fitness exercises suggested by the app in accordance with your chosen objective (lose weight, gain muscles, etc) and collect trophies along the way.

FCB Fitness

FCB Fantasy Manager 2013: Do you think you’re the best man for the Barça manager’s job? Show that you are in this game where you manage the FC Barcelona squad and facilities. Compete for trophies with fellow players all around the world!

FCB Fantasy Manager

FCB Capball: Lead your team to glory! Sign the greatest players in Barça history and win games to win titles. Maradona, Cruyff, Messi, Rivaldo, Iniesta... They’re all here!

FCB Capball

FCB Starscup: If you think you know about football, this is your chance to prove it. Simulate a real game with real players in which your split-second decisions will influence the result: passing, dribbling, tackling and shooting … everything you’d do in a real football match! 

FCB Starscup

FCB World: Connect with FCB World and learn everything you need to know about your favourite club. Receive all the latest news, photos, videos, live match summaries, fixtures and tables, as well as tweets, interactive games and other innovative services. You’ll be the first to see the match line-ups and then you can share the FC Barcelona world with all your friends!

FCB World

FC Barcelona generated much expectation on their visit to Palestine as part of the ‘Peace Tour’ that is hoping to create bonds between the Palestinians and Israelis. Here we look back at a day that saw the Barça players visit the Basilica of the Nativity after which president Sandro Rosell and members of his board met with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

The historic day ended with a football clinic in Dura, a town just outside Hebron, where 24,000 watched the first team train in the company of a group of Palestinian boys and girls.

The second day of the ‘Peace Tour’ started with a trip to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. This is the western wall of Temple Mount and is a sacred site for Judaism.

Although it was a working day in Israel, crowds of people, mainly youngsters, were waiting to welcome the Barça players as they arrived at the Wailing Wall, and watched as they donned kippahs and observed the Jewish ritual.

A special zone of the wall was set aside for the FC Barcelona touring party, where there was short photo session and a guide explained the significance of the place. In accordance with tradition, the players then wrote their wishes on pieces of paper and slotted them into gaps in the wall in the hope that they’ll come true.

After the visit, the players moved on to the residence of the president of Israel, where they were welcomed by Shimon Peres and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Like yesterday in Bethlehem, Barça’s tip to Jerusalem on Sunday has all been about the hope for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The touring party visited the residence of the president of Israel, Shimon Peres, where Sandro Rosell, accompanied by members of his board, was once again granted the kind of treatment usually afforded to heads of state. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was also in attendance

Both Peres and Netanyahu were hugely grateful to Barça for this visit, and praised the club for its commitment to social and charity issues. The meeting, broadcast live on television, was all about building bridges towards dialogue, and ended with the first team players posing for a picture with the three main protagonists.

Shimon Peres: “You are messengers of peace”

Shimon Peres, the president of Israel, started his speech by saying that Barça’s visit “is a dream come true for the children of Israel and Palestine … It is a contribution to peace. You have come at the right time.” He was alluding to the peace negotiations that have just started in Washington: “The success of these talks is essential for our future” he solemnly said, before adding that: You have achieved a very high level of football. But more than that, you have sent a message of solidarity, friendship, and of caring for the weak. You are messengers of peace. Millions of people love you and you offer your love to them. Thank you very much.”

He also remembered Tito Vilanova: “In Jerusalem, we are praying for him, and wish him a speedy recovery” he said, while also revealing that he is very up to date with events at Barça: “I always watch you” he said, while jokingly adding that the best way to win peace would be to have “Messi, Iniesta and Xavi on the pitch.”

Common points between Israel and Palestine

Sandro Rosell commented that Barça’s trip “is just a drop in the ocean. But it’s a very important drop.” Like in Bethlehem, the Barça president mentioned how pleased everyone at the club is to see that peace negotiations are back under way, adding that “on this visit we have been able to see that both in Israel and Palestine, most children support Barça … We fight to win titles, but we also want to be your friends forever.”

MONDAY, JULY 29

Tata Martino and Neymar meet the team in FC Barcelona’s first training session of the preseason with all available players. The internationals who featured in the Confederations Cup in Brazil: Valdés, Piqué, Alba, Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Cesc, Pedro, Alves and Neymar, returned to training.

TUESDAY, JULY 30

Barça and its fans receive the terrible news of the passing of one of the Club’s legendary players, the ex-keeper Antoni Ramallets. He left us at the age of 89, he had made 473 appearances for Barça and had won six La Liga titles.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31

The Blaugrana travel to Poland to play the third match of the preseason. The game against Lechia Gdansk ended in a two-all draw.

The match against Lechia Gdansk saw Neymar make his debut for FC Barcelona. The new Barça player played a total of 15 minutes.

The 2nd Festa Barça kicks off. It was the beginning of the Joan Gamper Trophy celebrations and it coincided with the XXXIV Supporters Clubs World Congress.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1

La Masia graduate Cristian Tello extends his contract with the Club through the 2017/18 season. His buyout clause is set at 25 million euros.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2

FC Barcelona and Santos feature in the 48th edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy. Barça fired for eight unanswered goals.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3

Maciej Lampe signs a two-year contract with Barça’s basketball team. He has the option to extend his contract for an additional year.

Barça kick off the Peace Tour. The Blaugrana visit Palestine where they are received by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and local authorities in the Presidential Palace in Bethlehem.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4

The Peace Tour takes Barça to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Shimon Peres receive FC Barcelona.

Today is a good day for Barça's Japanese fans. The Club unveiled its Japanese language online store – www.fcbotiga.jp – this week, which means users are now able to purchase this year’s FC Barcelona kits and official Club merchandise.

The ‘senyera’ kit in Japan

In addition to FC Barcelona’s first kit, the away kit, which has been come to be known as the ‘senyera’ kit, is also available for purchase. In fact, the ‘senyera’ kit is so popular that it has become the best selling kit in FC Barcelona history.

The unveiling of the Japanese language online store coincides with Barça’s 2013 Asia Tour. Even though the Blaugrana won’t make a pit stop in Japan, they will visit Thailand and Malaysia.

FC Barcelona generated a lot of excitement during the visit to Israel this weekend. Here’s a video overview of the second day of the Peace Tour, which seeks to strengthen the ties between Palestinians and Israelis. The Barça expedition visited the Wailing Wall, and later were received in the official residence of the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, in an event that was also attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The day came to a close with a clinic at Bloomfield in Tel Aviv. Nearly 15,000 people followed the session, which included boys and girls from Palestine and Israel.

As usual on such tours, the packed schedule also includes time to promote Catalonia and Barça. A meeting was held today with local tour operators and reporters to explain the attractions of Catalonia as a tourist destination, using Barça’s international projection to support the cause.

Director Jordi Moix presented the event in the Rajamangala National Stadium before 140 people, while the club’s commercial and marketing manager, Laurent Collette, spoke about what Barça can offer both to corporate guests and tourists.

Attractions of the club

Colette spoke about FC Barcelona and what makes it so different from other leading clubs around the world, including its huge international fan base and world leading following on social networks. He also discussed what Barça can do for tour operators, the possibility of hosting events in the Camp Nou, the hospitality and VIP services, and the ‘Camp Nou Experience’ as the finest way of understanding what FC Barcelona means.

The Agència Catalana de Turisme was represented by David Miró, director of Tourism Promotion from Southeast Asia to Singapore, who spoke about Catalonia’s many attractions, from its cuisine to such destinations as the city of Barcelona and the Costa Brava. The Catalan Tourist Board and the Catalunya brand are official collaborators with the 2013 Asian Tour.

Tata Martino’s men will fight for the first title of the season next week when they face off against Atlético Madrid for the Spanish Super Cup. The away leg will be played on August 21 at the Vicente Calderón (23.00), and the Club is making the option to travel with the team available.

The price per person, which includes lodging, is 235 euros for members and 355 for non-members. The cost of the ticket to the match (30 euros) is not included in the price.

The return leg will be played at the Camp Nou on Wednesday August 28 (23.00).

For additional information please consult with Halcón Viajes and Viajes Ecuado.

Super Cup Travel plan

The best place to learn about the history and values of FC Barcelona is undoubtedly the club museum. Located on the Camp Nou premises, it offers fans the unique opportunity to view dozens of trophies and see first-hand why Barça is ‘more than a club’. A visit to the FCB Museum is an unforgettable experience that uses the very latest technology to display the club’s history in interactive and sensorial fashion.

A must-see

The new Camp Nou Experience marketing campaign is focusing in Barça’s global dimension, and how it is now one of the most visited sights in Catalonia, up there among such other major tourist attractions as the Sagrada Família, the Torre Agbar and Park Güell. In order to truly appreciate what the city of Barcelona means to its people, a visit to the temple of football, the Camp Nou, is an obligatory part of any tour itinerary.

The best player in the world

Leo Messi is the first active Barça player to have his own section in the museum. That space is being used to display his four Ballon d’Or trophies and two Golden Boots that confirm his status as the greatest player in the world. There are also two interactive displays of all of the goals he has ever scored for the first team.

Apart from the Leo Messi Space, the two floors of the FC Barcelona Museum will tell you all about the history of the club, including the first stones laid in the old Les Corts stadium and the Camp Nou. These are complemented by such spaces as the ‘Database’, which shows a wealth of information and statistics related to FC Barcelona, and the ‘6 Cups Zone’, which honours the unforgettable year of 2009.

Unique experience

The visit is complemented by the Camp Nou Experience, a tour of the stadium facilities in which visitors get to see such emblematic areas as the visitors’ dressing room, the benches beside the pitch and the pressroom.

Don’t miss the Camp Nou Experience, a must in Barcelona. Opening times.

Entrades Camp Nou Experience