It has been a memorable start to the week so far for FC Barcelona, with the reopening of the redeveloped Spotify Camp Nou being announced for this Saturday. The Catalans will finally play a game at their iconic stadium after two and a half years, when they take on Athletic Club on 22 November. And, there is more good news leading up to the match, as manager Hansi Flick is set to welcome some important players back from injury.
Pep Guardiola, still regarded as one of the most influential figures in Barcelona's modern history, has quietly extinguished one of the most persistent fantasies held by many Blaugrana supporters. While the Manchester City manager continues to be admired in Catalonia for everything he achieved as both a player and a coach, he has now addressed, and dismissed the possibility of becoming FC Barcelona's president in the future.
Barcelona's constant search for emerging talent has once again led the club's recruitment team to Brazil, where 17-year-old midfielder Ze Lucas is making waves. According to reports from Brazilian outlet Globo, relayed by AS, the Catalan giants are quietly monitoring the young prospect as he continues to command attention at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar. The interest from Europe, including Barcelona, comes at a crucial moment for the player's club, Sport Recife.
As such, journalist Albert Fernandez of GOL reports that Barcelona are closely monitoring 17-year-old Argentine striker Thomas de Martis. The centre-forward plies his trade for Lanus in Argentina and is currently a part of the Albiceleste national team at the U-17 World Cup underway in Qatar. De Martis has made two senior appearances for Lanus, while playing 19 games for their reserve team, in which he has scored two goals.
On loan from Manchester United, Marcus Rashford is showing an excellent level of performance at FC Barcelona, where he has become a regular starter. In fact, he and Eric Garcia are the only Barça players who have featured in every match so far this season: all 16 games, 12 in La Liga and four in the UEFA Champions League. Having endured a difficult last year, the forward has been able to turn things around, leading to him reclaiming his place in the England setup under Thomas Tuchel.
I began my coaching career at Barça with high expectations for both the players and the club. The club was coming from a period where there weren't many demands. But my mistake was maintaining those high standards for only one year, from when I arrived until we won La Liga, the Super Cup... Later on, I was able to be self-critical and I said to myself, 'Damn, what happened to me?'
The 26-year-old Barcelona defender, along with Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga, did not work with the other 22 members of the squad called up by Deschamps. Instead, after signing autographs for the many supporters who attended the open session, Kounde and Camavinga left their teammates to complete individual running exercises with France's fitness coach, Cyril Moine. For now, the participation of the Barcelona defender and the Real Madrid midfielder in Thursday's match at the Parc des Princes does not appear to be in doubt.
A few weeks into the 2025/26 season, FC Barcelona midfield ace Gavi was dealt a significant blow as he suffered a knee injury. The Catalans and the player opted for conservative treatment initially, but with his condition not improving, the La Masia graduate underwent arthroscopic surgery. However, during the procedure, it was learned that the condition of Gavi's knee was worse than feared, and as a result, he would be sidelined for a lengthy period.
Just six minutes into the game, a shot from Fermin struck the Celta Vigo defender and went out for a corner. And Alberola Rojas received a warning from the VAR room in Las Rozas: "Javi, it's Valen. Look, I recommend a review so you can assess a potential handball penalty. I'm going to start with the point of impact and then give you the details," the VAR official said.
Year after year, the Celta captain has proven to be the Catalan team's major weak point. The former Liverpool striker's record against Barcelona is indeed simply stunning, having scored 11 goals in 21 league matches, a statistic that doesn't even fully capture his numerous standout performances and decisive moments that have cost Barça dearly at Balaidos.
Lamine Yamal is one of the best players in the world right now; we need to limit his threat defensively and as a unit, but Barcelona doesn't rely on him alone - they've got Ferran, Lewandowski, Fermín, and Olmo, and their attack is phenomenal," he said.
I am very happy because the process has taken almost 15 years, since 2010 when I finished my first presidential term. We needed to get the plans off the drawing board and into reality to make this dream come true.
