1. Messi 2018

2. Dani Alves Google+ Hangout

3. The renewal of Leo Messi

4. We now have 40 million Facebook fans

5. Barça Legends: Ronaldo

6. Best goals of formative football

7. The preview match against Getafe and the Chinese New Year

8. Last spot with Cesc: Estrella Damm, Mediterranean style and sushi

9. FCB Toons Town, new mobile app

10. Time-lapse of the Camp Nou during a midday

The son of an Andalusian father and Catalan mother, Nicolau Casaus de la Fuente i Jené was born on February 12, 1913 in Mendoza (Argentina). He lived his long life to the full, and FC Barcelona was always closely associated to everything he ever did.

Casaus and Barça were bound to each other by an emotional yet curious story. Nicolau became a Barça fan as a young boy thanks to Josep Samitier. In 1922, aged just nine, the Barça of the ‘golden age’ were playing in Igualada, where Casaus’ family had moved when he was five, and he offered to carry the legendary goalkeeper’s bag into the ground, thus managing to get into see the match.

Samitier's friend

Samitier was touched by the gesture, and the two would become close friends for life. In 1927, Samitier paid the three pesetas for the now teenage Casaus to become a member of the club. By now fully dedicated to the cause, it was in 1931 that Casaus founded the Penya Barcelonista Germanor d’Igualada, for whom he was president and a member of the social team that represented the club.

In 1940, the new Franco regime made him pay for his republicanism during the Civil War by sentencing him to death. This was later changed to thirty years in prison, although in 1944 he was released on probation and twelve years later all charges for his alleged crimes were dropped. He was able to re-establish himself in Barcelona by setting up a textiles company funded by his old friend Samitier, who had not forgotten him.

This was the turning point for Casaus. Devastated by the suffering he had endured, he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to his one great passion, other than his family, which was none other than Barça. Years later Casaus would say: “I am grateful to Barça because it gave me hope and helped me to live”. The fascist authorities refused to allow Casaus to assume any position on the board of directors, but Casaus was still able to enjoy Barça to the full. He barely missed a match at the old Les Corts stadium, and frequently travelled to away matches too.

The Penya Solera

In 1947, shortly before being readmitted as a Barça member, Casaus joined the Penya Solera (and would later become its president), founded in 1944 and the oldest of the post-war supporters clubs, for all the clubs formed before the conflict (including his own Penya Germanor d'Igualada) has been forced to cease operations. The Penya Solera was a group of fans that used to meet in the Solera bar in Barcelona, close to the Canaletes fountain. It was there that such Barça stars as Antoni Ramallets, Mariano Martín, César Rodríguez and Gustavo Biosca used to meet up and relax.

Following the formation of this club, others soon sprang up in such places as Castellar del Vallès and Calella that also called themselves Solera. By now, Casaus was becoming the main man in the world of FCB supporters clubs, and actively participated in the foundation of dozens of other associations over the next few decades (in 1978 he claimed that of the 152 supporters clubs in existence at the time, 140 had been founded by himself). He became one of the most popular men ever to be associated with the club, and in 1957 president Miró-Sans chose him to organise the festivities for the inauguration of the Camp Nou.

The Democratic Era

When Spain moved into the democratic era, Casaus was finally able to live his dream of standing for Barça president in 1978. Casaus came third in the election behind Josep Lluís Núñez and Ferran Ariño, but the new president Núñez offered to make him a vice president and put him in charge of the Social Commission. He then became a regular representative of the club at away matches and was there for such events as the Basel final of 1979, by far the biggest displacement of travelling FCB supporters to date. His face was everywhere to be seen, and not even the most radically anti-Barça minded people could help admiring this charming and widely respected gentleman. His optimism regarding Barça was infectious – no matter how adverse the circumstances, he never lost faith in his team’s possibilities.

Nicolau Casaus became a particularly well known public figure from 1978, when he became a Barça ambassador, focusing especially on the supporters club movement. These clubs, in his words, “are the lungs of Barça”, and his insatiable desire to expand the movement saw him involved in some 200 events every year for 22 years. His dedication was simply extraordinary. In 1978, there were 152 supporters clubs. By 2000, when Casaus stepped down from the vice presidency, the number had risen to 1,450.

The board spokesperson and secretary Toni Freixa gave a press conference on Tuesday evening to explain the decisions made at the latest Executive Meeting. One of the key issues which Sr Freixa dealt with was yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court which obliges ex-President Joan Laporta and seven of the directors who served under him to present guarantees to cover the more than 23 million Euro loss corresponding to the 2002/03 season. “It’s a clear sentence and the decision is unquestionable. It clarifies for once and for all the mandate of the previous board. We expect that we will receive the guarantee, because we live in a society which respects the law. The sentence orders the accused to guarantee the debt – not to pay it off. We are waiting for the Club member who made the original charges to ask for the sentence to be carried out. We won’t rule out getting a guarantee which the law has provided”. The sentence will only be carried out under Spanish law, if the person who brought about the original accusation wishes for it to be so.

The decision of the Assemblea de Compromissaris del 2010 to demand a response is now, explained Sr Freixa, “suspended, because Sr Laporta’s board have appealed against the legitimacy of that Assemblea. Their demand was turned down in the first instance and is now at the appeal court of the Audiència Provincial ”.

Financial situation

Turning to the Club’s current economic position, Sr Freixa explained that as of December 31st 2012: “we are perfectly in line with our budget - we’ll see what the results of the next quarter are like. We are fulfilling the strategic plan, which guarantees sporting excellence and investment with satisfactory economic results”. The Club’s 2012/13 budget foresees a 29 million Euro profit at the end of the season.

Toni Freixa also commented on the “Baena Case” in which the courts decided that Barça didn’t have the right to the 3 million Euros they had claimed once the youngster left the Club: “it obliges us to look again at the contracts we are offering to under age players, as the sentence declares that pre-contracts with penalisation clauses are not valid”.

Midday kick offs

Sr Freixa explained that the midday kick-off against Getafe: “was a great success for the fans and a great game. We’ve sorted out any doubts we had and it’s clear that we can play at midday, although we have always said that playing at that time could harm the regional game here. We are open to suggestions and we would admit that this was a great success, both in sporting and social terms”.

The Board Spokesperson also commented on the four o’clock kick off for the Madrid game on March 2nd: “we’ll do what is asked of us. We didn’t want to play on Friday and we will play at this time to suit Madrid. We accepted the proposal and we will be there to play that game”.

Trip to Israel and Palestine

Finally, Freixa gave the details of the trip that the President, Sandro Rosell and Vice-President Javier Faus will be leading to Israel and Palestine to strengthen the links between the Club and the Middle East. The visit will take place between 21 and 23 February and the delegation from the Club will visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Ramallah and meet with the Israeli President Shimon Peres and the President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmud Abbas.

The Club’s directors met this Monday, February 11th and one of the items they approved was the incorporation of 46 new penyes.

The Club welcomes the new penyes, who will certainly help Barça continue to be a reference point in the social area around the world.

Below are the names of the new penyes:

Peña Azulgrana de Fuencaliente (Fuencaliente, Ciudad Real)

Penya Blaugrana Nicolau Casaus de Sant Andreu de la Barca (Sant Andreu de la Barca, Barcelona)

Penya Barcelonista Chicho Sibilio (Distrito Federal, Dominican Republic)

Penya Barcelonistas de Gante (Ghent, Belgium)

Asociación Peña Barcelonista de Porriño (O Porriño, Pontevedra)

Peña Barcelonista de Ablitas (Ablitas, Navarra)

Peña Barcelonista Paco Seirul·lo (Salamanca, Salamanca)

Penya Barcelonista de Sineu (Sineu, Balearic Islands)

Penya Blaugrana d'Artesa de Lleida (Artesa de Lleida, Lleida)

Penya Barcelonista Do Barbanza (Boiro, La Coruña)

Peña Barcelonista de Ruecas (Ruecas, Badajoz)

Peña Barcelonista Dilar (Dilar, Granada)

Peña Barcelonista Almadén de la Plata (Almadén de la Plata, Sevilla)

Penya Barcelonista de Monofacio (Tefeli, Crete)

Penya Blaugrana de Llivia (Llivia, Girona)

Penya Blaugrana de Maracay Gent del Barça (Maracay, Venezuela)

Penya Barcelonista de Beneixema (Beneixema, Alicante)

Penya Barcelonista de Campins (Campins, Barcelona)

Peña Castillo Blaugrana (Bercial, Segovia)

Peña Barcelonista de Pedroche (Pedroche, Córdoba)

Penya Blaugrana Aït Nsar (Aït Nsar, Morocco)

Penya Barcelonista di Bergamo - Città dei Mille (Bergamo, Italy)

Peña Barcelonista San Benito (San Benito de la Contienda, Badajoz)

Penya Barcelonista Alcalà-Alcossebre (Alcalà de Xivert, Castelló)

Peña Barcelonista Pasión Culé de Zaragoza (Zaragoza)

Peña Barcelonista de Tauste (Tauste, Zaragoza)

Peña Barcelonista Colloto (Colloto, Asturias)

Penya Blaugrana Gerard Piqué de Talamanca (Talamanaca, Barcelona)

Gent Blaugrana d'Anfa (Casablanca, Morocco)

Penya Barcelonista de Castelldans (Castelldans, Lleida)

Penya Barcelonista de Sils (Sils, Girona)

Peña Barcelonista "El Toboso" (El Toboso, Toledo)

Penya Blaugrana del Conflent (Prades, France)

Penya Barcelonista Ibense "Reyes Magos" (Ibi, Alicante)

Penya Blaugrana Garriguella (Garriguella, Girona)

Barcelona Fan Club Guanzhou (Guanzhou, China)

Penya Barcelonista Vall de Guadalest (Guadalest, Alicante)

Peña Barcelonista Santiago de Calatrava (Santiago de Calatrava, Jaén)

Penya Blaugrana Garraf (Garraf, Barcelona)

Penya Barcelonista Knokke-Heist (Bruges, Belgium)

Peña Barcelonista Nerjeña (Nerja, Málaga)

Bayerische Penya Blaugrana (Munich, Germany)

Penya Blaugrana de Calahonda (Mijas Costa, Málaga)

Penya Blaugrana de Bellaterra (Bellaterra, Barcelona)

Penya Barcelonista Eslovaca dels Altos Tatras (Bratislava, Slovakia)

Peña Barcelonista de Córdoba (Córdoba)

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Darius Sinathrya, the famous Indonesian actor and TV presenter, has this week become an Honorary Fan of FC Barcelona. Sinathrya was in the FC Barcelona offices on Thursday to sign an official deal to become the club’s official face in his home country, where he was joined by FCB director general Antoni Rossich.
Sinathrya celebrated the event wearing a shirt featuring the traditional Indonesian batik motif, along with the Barça crest. “It is a great honour to be an Honary Fan of Barça” he said. “From now on I hope to help the club a lot”.

Meeting with players

Darius and Donna Agnesia, the actor’s wife, are spending a few days in Barcelona and on Wednesday visited the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper to meet the players in person, including Cesc, Messi, Iniesta, Thiago and Valdés, where he also signed a Barça shirt.

“Of course there are players like Messi, Iniesta and Xavi, but in Indonesia people love all the members of the team”, said Darius, who shares his affection for the Catalan club with his wife, who is an FCB member, and two of their three children are called Lionel and Diego Andrés, in honour of Leo Messi, Diego Armando Maradona and Andrés Iniesta.

This is the third time Darius has been to Barcelona: “I have always had nice experiences here but this is the most important for me. It is a dream come true to get to meet the players and to be their honorary fan in Indonesia”.

“Barça have lots of fans in my country and the people are passionate about FC Barcelona. They are crazy about following all of the Barça news and people watch their games every week”, said a man whose next stop will be Italy. On Wednesday he will be joining the other Barça fans in Milan for the crunch Champions League fixture.

The streets of Barcelona hosted Busquets, Pedro, Thiago and Bartra as they debuted Nike’s new FCB line of casual wear. The collection is inspired by the colours that identify the Club, and its vintage look incorporates elements that highlight the team’s history and drum up some of the most emblematic FC Barcelona symbols.

The four FCB players walked around Barcelona showing the good relationship, friendship and team spirit that exists in the team as photographer Sergi Jasanada captured with his camera.

Clothing line in detail

Nike’s new line features a selection of shirts, polos, hoodies and jackets, among other items. The line joins comfort with the classic Barça style. In addition, Nike has incorporated DRI-FIT technology in many of the items, like the Covert Vintage 73 Throwback which is worn by Bartra. Its special watsh gives the shirt a retro look while keeping the fabric soft.

The Covert Vintage that Busquets wears is designed to have a retro look while featuring distinct team colours, or the AW77 Authentic, a hoodie designed with a plush terry fabric with elastic trim and striking embroidery.

The players that were selected for the photo shoot fit in perfectly with Nike’s new line of casual wear, which looks to highlight the values of FC Barcelona, like, for example, the N98 Authentic jacket that Pedro wears during the session. It features durable fabric and contrasting piping, and it offers a quality and sporty look. Or the reversible jackets worn by Thiago and Bartra. It’s a “two in one” item that includes a first-class team embroidery.

A relaxed photo shoot

The session really shows what these players are like off the pitch. They are fans of the team just like millions of other football aficionados. It’s evident that they get along, that they’re humble and respectful. These are some of the values that the team hopes to transmit, just like the clothing line. Through its colours and designs the collection shows the day to day values the Barça players live by.

With this collection, Nike gives fans a chance to show their passion for the team.

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1. Dani Alves Google+ Hangout Timelapse

2. Messi and Iniesta in Barça Magazine

3. Best formative goals of the week

4. Barça Legends: Guardiola

5. Leo Messi making of with 4 Ballon d'Or

At the start of the 1920s there was an air of euphoria in the city due to the excellent form of the team and the healthy state of the Club. It was clear that the 4,000 capacity Carrer Industria ground – opened in 1909 – was too small for the increasingly popular team, about to enter its Golden Age with players such as Samitier, Piera and Alcántara. President Joan Gamper then decided to build a new ground: “to meet all the conditions which the good name of the Club, its glorious history and the honour of Catalan football demand”.

The area chosen to build the new ground on was known as Can Ribot, or Can Guerra, and was situated in the Les Corts district between Carrer Numancia and the Travessera de les Corts (very close to the current Camp Nou). The land cost a total of 928.500 pesetas, but it was well worth the price, On February 8th 1922 an emotional Joan Gamper signed the property deeds for the land on which the new ground was to be built.

A few days later – 19th February- the solemn ceremony of laying the first foundation stone for the future Les Corts Stadium was held. At 11.00 a large number of Barça fans and members set out from the newly named Carrer París-Urgell (previously Carrer Industria). They were accompanied by the Casa de Familiar marching band, the Club Standard carried by the ex-wrestling champion and fervent Barça fan Josep Ardèvol, the members of the Club’s four teams, representatives of the City Council and the Mancomunitat and the complete Board of Directors. When they arrived at Can Ribot, Father Lluís Sabaté –Club member number 79 and a diehard fan, blessed the foundation stone. From a small stage set up for the authorities, Joan Gamper made an emotional speech in which he said: “on this ground, conquered by hard work and love, we will plant roots. With past victories remembered, there will be many more to come on this blessed ground. Cheer up your hearts – we have a new ground!”

The following day, building work began in earnest and in a record time of three months, after much hard work day and night, the new ground was completed and the new Les Corts Stadium, with a capacity of 22,000, was solemnly opened on May 20th 1922

President Sandro Rosell and vice president Javier Faus will be departing on Thursday for a two-day trip to Israel and Palestine to strengthen institutional and commercial ties with representatives of both communities. The Barça directors will have a tight schedule that includes interviews with major Israeli and Palestinian figures, and visits to such emblematic places. The visit to Israel will also include a floral offering at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.

Among others, Rosell and Faus will be meeting in Tel Aviv with Israeli president Shimon Peres. In Ramallah, the capital of the West Bank, the two FCB representatives will be speaking to the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmud Abbas, and members of the Palestinian Executive at the Muqata, including General Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian Football Federation and Olympic Committee.

The FC Barcelona president and vice president will be attending a meeting on Thursday with Shimon Peres and the two presidents will be making a joint institutional statement at the Kfar Hamaccabiah. Rosell will then be visiting the Peres Centre for Peace in Jaffa. On Friday, the Barça party will be travelling to Ramallah for an interview with Mahmud Abbas and Rajoub, at the Muqata, and will then be giving a press conference.

The most popular club in the Middle East

FC Barcelona is the most supported sports club both among Israelis and Palestinians, and has always defended the universal values and social commitments that have led it to participate in so many cooperation projects around the world. Barça is doing its own bit by seeking forms of understanding and agreement among the Israeli and Palestinian people through sport and education.

The club knows that peace can only be possible by a strengthening of the trust between the two communities. In recent years, FCB has been taking part in events and activities that have contributed to this cause. In 2005, a game was played to foster peace in the Middle East against the Peace Team, formed by Israeli and Palestinian players (2-2), by initiative of Lluís Bassat and Shimon Peres, who were joined by Palestinian Minister for Agriculture Walid Abed Rabo. In July 2011, Mahmud Abbas visited FC Barcelona, where he was welcomed by institutional vice president Carles Vilarrubí.

FC Barcelona believes it is important for children to be involved in this peace process. In this regard, in October 2011, the club’s Foundation organised a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian children at its La Masia Oriol Tort training facility and residence, where the youngsters attended peace workshops and played matches together. The FC Barcelona Foundation also collaborates with YaLa, the youth social movement created by initiative of the Peres Center for Peace to foster coexistence between the two communities, organising events and activities on the club facilities whenever they visit Barcelona.

The schedule of this trip is subject to last minute changes. The venues and times of the places where President Rosell will be speaking to the media will be announced shortly.

This afternoon the Arancio de San Siro hall hosted a promotional event for Catalonia while the first team players prepared for their Champions League showdown with AC Milan. The event was made possible thanks to the agreement that was signed by the Club and the the Catalan Tourism Agency in November of 2012.

FC Barcelona was represented by Jordi Moix, who explained the benefits of touring Catalonia through a video presentation. The director of the Catalan Tourism Agency in Italy, Marta Teixidor, addressed the attendees, most of whom are travel agents in the Lombardy region of Italy.

Enrique Castro ‘Quini’, also known as ‘El Brujo’ (the warlock), is probably the most loved Asturian footballer to ever play for FC Barcelona. He defended the Blaugrana colours for four seasons -1980 through 1984 - and he scored 101 goals in 178 appearances. He won two Pichichi trophies while at FC Barcelona and three more with Sporting. This Wednesday he presented his new film at FC Barcelona’s facilities: ‘El Brujo frente al espejo.’ The film is directed by Rai García and produced by Pedro Laguna. The film doesn’t focus on the player’s athletic feats; rather, it takes a look at Quini’s life. The film covers the player’s kidnapping ordeal in 1981, the death of his brother Jesús Castro and his successful battle against cancer.

Messi takes centre stage

“I played during the best time in history, in terms of teammates and competition. I wouldn’t change the titles I won for the ones we have today,” said Quini. He made the statement as some of his old teammates - Carles Rexach, Alexanko, Tente Sánchez and Paco Martínez - listened in the audience. However, the ex-Barça player noted that “the current Barça squad must be considered favourites and they will always be (in reference to this afternoon’s match against Milan). They have no rival, they have the Champions League already won.” If we start talking about records, we have to mention Leo Messi. It seems as though the Argentine breaks a record every time he steps onto the pitch, and he’s equalled the two Pichichi trophies that Quini won when he was a Blaugrana: “Messi is not from this world, he’s from another planet. I had goalscoring records, and he’s broken all of them!” He also talked about his fellow Asturian, David Villa: “I think he’ll end his playing career here and he’ll bring a lot of joy to the Club. He deserves to stay here and the fans are with him.”

Film set to be released this Thursday

The filming of ‘El Brujo frente al espejo’ started in November of 2011 in Zaragoza and it was presented one year later at the International Film Festival of Gijón. It will be released this Thursday throughout Spain. “I talk about things that I have always considered taboo, doing this film has given me strength and I feel more comfortable and calm,” said Quini.

This Thursday, an FC Barcelona delegation led by president Sandro Rosell and vice president Javier Faus has begun an institutional visit to Israel and Palestine. Shortly after landing in Tel Aviv, after a direct flight from Milan, the Barça directors headed for the Kfar Ha Maccabiah complex for a private interview with the Israeli president, Shimon Peres. The two presidents then made a joint statement in which Rosell announced that Barça is willing to take its first team to Israel for a football match “in the hope that this game can serve to build bridges of dialogue between the two communities that can help lead to reconciliation between the two”.

In his speech, Shimon Peres praised FC Barcelona for this initiative. “I am the president of the State of Israel. There are many states in the world, but there is only one Barça. It is a pleasure and I am delighted to have this chance to set up this joint project. Their slogan is ‘more than a club’, and it’s true. Barça is ‘more than a club’. We will work together with you, president Rosell, and with the president of the Palestinian Authority. We will work to stage a special match which hopefully won't be a one-off occasion but part of an ongoing cooperation between our children”.

Match could be on July 31

Rosell, who gave a press conference afterwards with vice president Faus, has confirmed that the leaders of the two communities have accepted the FC Barcelona initiative with much enthusiasm. “The three parties have taken the first step for this match to become a reality and from now on we will be working together to achieve that” he said. It is still early to speak of the details of the match, but the idea is for it to be played on July 31 and for Barça to play against a team made up of both Israeli and Palestinian players. Neither has the venue been decided, but the most probable choice will be Tel Aviv, which has the biggest capacity stadiums. As well as helping to build bridges for peace and dialogue between the two communities, it will also be a charity match to raise funds for projects to help young Israelis and Palestinians. In this regard, vice president Javier Faus has confirmed that “we have no economic interests, we don’t mind whether we make or lose money. We are here to defend certain values”.

Despite the difficulties surrounding this initiative, president Rosell is convinced that “things can’t happen unless you try, and Barça won’t be pulling out. We have the support of both sides and now we have to work to sort out all the details of the match”. He also confirmed that the first team players are fully dedicated to the cause. “Most of the players were brought up at La Masia, so they are very clear about the Club’s values, they have grown up with them, and they know that this forms part of our values”. Rosell also encouraged Israeli and Palestinian players “to work together and in coordination to form a solid team, because we won’t just be here for the trip. We don’t like losing, not even in friendlies”.

After speaking to the media, the Barça representatives visited the Isaac Rabin Memorial, in the square that is named after the Israeli politician that was assassinated in 1995 after giving a speech in favour of peace. The day ended with a private supper at which Rosell and Faus were joined by Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid political party.

The trip will continue on Friday with a trip to Jerusalem, where the delegation will be visiting some of the most emblematic places in the city, before travelling to Ramallah for an interview with the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmud Abbas, and the Palestinian executive at Mouqata.

The FC Barcelona party, which is making an official visit to Israel and Palestine, began the day with a visit to the Temple Mount, an area of special significance for Muslims, which contains two important Mosques – the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Mosque of Omar – believed by Muslims to be the site of the prophet Mohammed’s ascent to heaven . President Rosell and vice-president Faus were permitted to visit the area, which is normally a restricted zone for non-muslims.

The two then visited the Wailing Wall, the most sacred area for Jews, where they were received by the Rabbi of the Wall before donning the traditional Kippah and leaving a written prayer in the wall, in line with Jewish traditions.

After their visit to the historic area of the city, the Club delegation then toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum leaving a memorial wreath and visiting the children’s memorial.

The delegation then travelled to Ramallah to visit the Palestine National Authority President Mahmud Abbas at the seat of the Palestine government, the Mukataa.

This evening, the group will return to Jerusalem and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest of Christian sites.

The official Club delegation, headed by President Sandro Rosell and vice-president Javier Faus, crossed the frontier from Israel into the West Bank and travelled to Ramallah to meet the Palestine National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the governmental centre, Mukataa. The crossing of the frontier marked a symbolic bridging of peace which the Club is attempting to promote through its proposal of a match on July 31st in Tel Aviv . This is in fact the first time a foreign visitor has been received by the Presidents of both Israel and Palestine on the same trip.

The meeting between Presidents Rosell and Mahmoud Abbas, which was also attended by Sr Faus and the president of the Palestinian Football Federation and Palestinian Olympic Committee, General Jibril Rajoub, centered on details of the proposed match, which has been enthusiastically received by the Palestinian authorities, although a number of obstacles remain to be overcome. The three parts involved still have to negotiate a number of tricky issues, including the demand of the Palestinian authorities for the Israelis to allow their team free movement between Gaza and the West Bank and that the Israeli State officially recognises the Palestinian Federation, which is already a FIFA member.

Accompanied by General Rajoub and speaking to the media afterwards, President Rosell admitted: “holding the game won’t be easy, but if we don’t try, we’ll never achieve it. Our offer is to come here and help create a better understanding between the two communities. That would be an achievement not just for peace, but for football too”.

For his part, General Jibril Rajoub explained: “I’m optimistic that the game can be organised, but the three parts have to sit down and talk about it now to reach agreement. There are still obstacles to overcome to convert this dream into reality”.

Once the press conference had finished, the FCB delegation had lunch with General Rajoub and other representatives of Palestinian football and the trip concluded with a visit to the tomb of the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Palestine National Authority President, Yasser Arafat.

On their return to Jerusalem, the delegation visited the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, two important Christian monuments in the city, where they were greeted by the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church. They then visited Isaac Herzog, the Israeli minister for relations with the Christian community.

FC Barcelona has launched a new mobile app, FCB iCroms Evolution, a traditional trading card collection game in a new dimension. FCB iCroms Evolution is a completely free application in which users collect trading cards (iCroms) and compete against each other in a strategy game.

This app is available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad and via AppStore, Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Android Smartphones and tablets from Amazon and next month will also be downloadable from Google Play.

FCB iCroms Evolution is the natural evolution of the digital game on the wed-based platform, FCB iCroms, which was launched last year. FCB iCroms Evolution is now on the market, and has been specially adapted for mobile devices (Smartphones and tablets).

This new FC Barcelona app (available in Catalan, Spanish, English and Japanese) enables Barça members and supporters to create their own football team using digital trading cards. They can pick the starting eleven, implement strategies, and play in leagues and competitions with different users as they chase the best positions in the world ranking.

Each iCrom has a score for attack and defence, which the user can improve as he or she plays more games. The players on the cards also have different skills associated to those of the real-life player. Each iCrom is also packed with details, such as photographs, videos and statistics, not only for the current first team players, but also those in Barça B and club history.

Dídac Lee, the director responsible for New Technologies, considers FCB iCroms Evolution to be “an evolution of the traditional card game that provides a very special way of sharing the Barça sentiment wherever you are in the world”.

FCB iCroms Evolution

FC Barcelona and the Etisalat Group, the leading telecommunications operator in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, signed an extension deal to the sponsorship agreement between the two to last until June 30th 2017. The agreement confirms the UAE company as a Premium Sponsor in a number of countries, including UAE, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Niger, Gabon and the Central African Republic.

The contract was signed at the Club this morning by FC Barcelona President Sandro Rosell and the Etisalat Group executive director Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar. Etisalat has an important presence at the Mobile World Congress – one of the telecommunications industry’s top events, which is currently being held in Barcelona.

President Rosell expressed his satisfaction with the extension of the collaboration between the Club and Etisalat, which he defined as “a pioneer in telecommunications in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, who are helping us to get closer and strengthen our connection with our fans in those areas. This will help us to transmit our feelings for the Club and also to grow socially and economically”.

In reply, the executive director of the Etisalat Group Ahmad Jular commented that: “as a global telecommunications operator, it makes great sense for us to associate ourselves with a first class Club which is interested in widening its international fan base. This association is a unique opportunity to show the capacity of Etisalat Group as a telecommunications operator. It gives us a strong competitive advantage and strengthens our emotional links with our present and future clients. We are looking forward to sharing FC Barcelona’s talent with our clients”.

Commitment to excellence and solidarity

Amongst other things, FC Barcelona and Etisalat share a commitment to excellence and innovation, as well as for New Technologies. The telecommunications operator is enjoying a strong and quick expansion throughout Africa and Asia. It serves more than 130 million clients in 15 countries and continues to grow and find new clients and markets. Its base in the UAE, places it at the crossroads of East and West and it serves as a nucleus for the Middle East in Internet, voice, broadcast, roaming and data services for corporations. Etisalat has been recognised as the “best operator” ten times since 2006 and the best wholesale provider four times in the last three years.

FC Barcelona's great nights in Europe at Camp Nou

Top-10 best formative goals

FC Barcelona - Barça Legends: Ronaldinho

The injury of Jordi Roura against AC Milan

Cesc Fàbregas and Mathieu Flamini, face to face

Abidal with the group in the training session

Snow day at Ciutat Esportiva

FC Barcelona Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Join the team

Darius Sinathrya, FC Barcelona's honorary fan in Indonesia

On Monday, March 4, at 12.00 in the Sala París (above the FCBotiga), FC Barcelona will unveil its agreement with Qatar Airways. The event, which will be broadcast by Barça TV and streamed live on the Club’s website, will be attended by President Sandro Rosell and the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker.

On November 16, FC Barcelona and Qatar Sports Investments announced that Qatar Airways will appear on the FC Barcelona kit for the 2013/14 season, as the Club’s principal global partner.

The contract signed between QSI and FC Barcelona stipulated that a new kit sponsor could be included on the third year of the agreement. This was made public during the General Assembly in September of 2011.