FC Barcelona News: 26 August 2011; Barca To Face Porto in Super Cup, La Liga Strike Ends, Champions League Draw Completed

Spanish strike ends, weekend games to go ahead - ESPN Soccernet
The Primera Division season will finally get under way on Saturday after a second weekend of strike action was averted.Talks between the Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) and Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) finally reached a resolution on Thursday afternoon.

Guardiola: "It’s an excellent final" | FCBarcelona.cat
"It is an excellent final between two teams that deserve it" said Guardiola in his pre-match press conference. "We won the right to be here by winning the Champions League, and that’s what counts. We have had just enough time to prepare. At first we were worried about getting ready for the Spanish Supercup and having this game so soon after".

Milan, Bate and Pilsen in Barça’s group | FCBarcelona.cat
The Italian, Belarusian and Czech champions, namely AC Milan, Bate Borisov and Viktoria Pilsen will share a group with Barça in the Champions League following Thursday’s draw in Monaco. As defending champions, Barcelona were the number one seed.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi scoops Best Player in Europe Award - ESPN Soccernet
UEFA has named Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the Best Player in Europe for the 2010-11 season.Messi claimed 38 votes for the newly-created award, putting him some distance ahead of Barcelona team-mate Xavi, in second place with 11 votes, and third-placed Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who received just three votes.votes

Graft not glitz defines Abidal's Monaco memories – UEFA.com
FC Barcelona defender Éric Abidal started his professional career at AS Monaco FC and ahead of Friday's UEFA Super Cup against FC Porto, he says the lessons he learned in the Principality provided the foundations for the success he has enjoyed since.

La Liga - Fabregas eyes Liga debut - Yahoo! Eurosport
Cesc Fabregas is itching to make his Liga debut for Barcelona now a strike over unpaid player wages has been resolved and the season can get underway. The Spain midfielder, who has returned to his boyhood club after eight years with Arsenal, has a chance to make his first league appearance at the Nou Camp on Monday when the champions host Villarreal.

Montoya picked for Spain by Del Bosque | FCBarcelona.cat
FC Barcelona is once against the club providing most of the players to Del Bosque, who on Thursday named the 24 players he’ll be using for the friendly against Chile and the Euro 2012 qualifier against Liechtenstein. There are nine Barça players on the list: Valdés, Montoya, Busquets, Xavi, Thiago, Cesc, Iniesta, Pedro and Villa.

Roma complete signing of Espanyol's Pablo Osvaldo - ESPN Soccernet
Osvaldo underwent a medical on Thursday in the Italian capital before signing a four-year contract with the Giallorossi. Osvaldo joins the Serie A outfit in a reported €18 million (£15.9million) transfer deal from Espanyol.

La Liga - Barrera joins Zaragoza - Yahoo! Eurosport
West Ham winger Pablo Barrera has joined Primera Division side Real Zaragoza on a season-long loan. The Mexico winger travelled to Spain for a medical, with the West Ham website explaining the player had been loaned out "after struggling to adapt to life to London since his arrival from Mexico because of language and personal reasons".