His initial reaction was blunt, reflecting fatigue with the constant speculation surrounding the matter. Responding to the question, Capello said, "What do you want me to say?" The Italian coach then shifted the focus away from Barcelona and towards his own experiences during his time at Real Madrid, framing the conversation through the lens of sporting achievement under pressure. "They tried to stop us, but they didn't succeed. They couldn't do it."
One of the main highlights is the inclusion of Ronald Araujo, who has not been named in a squad since 25 November, when Barcelona played at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. The Uruguayan decided to take time out to overcome anxiety issues and, although he was not included for the derby despite resuming training, he did travel with the team to the RCDE Stadium. And now, he will also be a part of the travelling squad for the Super Cup.
"Joan García? Unbelievable. He was great in front of his former team's fans. He delivered a great match and kept a clean sheet." "He will give us a lot. He is delivering the performance for us now and will definitely give us a lot more," he added. "Very good to score today. Especially to celebrate the New Year with a victory, so we are extremely happy!"
"We didn't deserve it, I will be honest. I have to say thank you to Joan García because he played unbelievable. He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He's been fantastic. I think he'll never forget what he experienced here. Manolo gave him the confidence to play. Now he's with us and he's had an incredible performance. He's having a great season. He was one of the key players in the victory."
It is no secret that Hansi Flick is deeply involved in Barcelona's day-to-day affairs, even when it comes to monitoring the club's youth players. A shrewd operator, Flick often likes to monitor key matches for Barcelona's reserve team, as he considers La Masia to be a great source of talent for the first team. Flick's commitment to FC Barcelona's youth development knows no rest days either.
One of the positions that FC Barcelona intend to bolster in the summer transfer window is the centre-forward slot. Robert Lewandowski, at 37, does not have a guaranteed future at the club with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. The Blaugrana will need to rope in a replacement for the veteran Pole, given that an extension is starting to look unlikely as things stand. One of the options being considered happens to be Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic, whose contract also runs out this summer.
Barcelona are moving steadily towards securing the arrival of one of Egyptian football's most exciting young prospects. According to a report from SPORT, Hamza Abdelkarim is on the verge of renewing his contract with Al Ahly before completing a loan move to Barcelona. The operation has now entered a decisive phase after weeks of background work by Barcelona's sporting department.
Celebrating the new year with a victory, we're very happy. We knew they were going to make things difficult for us. They played a great game, but so did we, and we were more clinical. Now on to the Super Cup,
"He's not talked about enough, but for me he's crucial. Other players get a lot of attention and he's overlooked, but he's a vital player for what Barça does,"
As per the report, Barcelona midfield superstar Pedri will not be a part of the starting lineup to face Espanyol today. The 23-year-old midfielder had missed the Catalans' last game of 2025 against Villarreal due to mild discomfort. However, he has recovered completely from the issue and trained throughout the week and was named in the squad list, along with Dani Olmo.
The atmosphere was light-hearted, but one moment in particular has since taken on greater significance. During the show, a member of the audience was handed the microphone and posed a provocative question to the Espanyol winger, asking him who he would rather "step on" between Joan Garcia and Lamine Yamal. After pausing briefly, Milla delivered his response, which was met with laughter and applause inside the studio. "I think Lamine," he said.
