FC Barcelona News: 21 March 2012; Barça Survive Granada Scare, Lionel Messi Breaks Cesar's Goalscoring Record

Messi scores hat-trick to break Barca record - Yahoo! Eurosport
Lionel Messi's hat-trick set a new Barcelona scoring record of 234 goals as the La Liga champions won an action-packed home game against Granada 5-3 to close to within five points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid. The Argentine World Player of the Year, still only 24, also set a Spanish record of 54 goals in all competitions in a single season with more than two months of the campaign remaining.

Guardiola, on Messi: "We are witness to the best football player" | FC Barcelona
"We are witnessing the best [player] in every sense. He does everything, and he does it every three days. I’m sorry for those that want to sit on his throne, but this lad is the best. Hopefully we can enjoy his football for many more years." Josep Guardiola is a happy man and he has the humble honour of training the world’s best player, Leo Messi, who scored a hat-trick against Granada to become the Club’s all-time high top goalscorer in official matches.

Key moments in Messi's Barcelona career - Yahoo! Sports
Messi has a useful habit of producing in the big games for Barca, as he proved in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Real last season. He scored a goal in each of the 2009 and 2011 finals, both against Manchester United, the first a rare headed effort that left Edwin van der Sar rooted to the spot and the second a powerful strike from distance past the same keeper.

Messi rocks the record books to shatter Barcelona scoring mark on a historic night at Camp Nou - and he may never be caught - Goal.com
At 17 years, 10 months and seven days old, Messi became the youngest goalscorer in Barca history - a record later broken by former team-mate Bojan Krkic. But Leo's latest mark of 234 goals for the Catalan club is likely to last for generations. In fact, by the time he has finished tormenting goalkeepers, it may never be beaten. Ever.

Messi: From scrawny kid to best ever | Europort
Barca's faith in their ability to groom the little lad from Rosario for their first team and transform him into the world's best player has paid off handsomely while River have been left to rue not making him theirs. Messi has already won 18 titles in his eight seasons in the Barca first team.

Piqué: "It's a pleasure to be in the generation as the best player in the history of the sport" | FC Barcelona
After the 5-3 win over Granda, Gerard Piqué analysed, on Barça TV’s El Marcador, the team’s attitude in the Liga: "the team is very motivated and we’re on a good trajectory, with great football. At times we play at a high level and that reinforces us in the Liga and in other competitions."

Abidal gives support to Muamba - Yahoo! Eurosport
Barcelona defender Eric Abidal has sent his best wishes to Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba and his family. The health of both France international Abidal and Bolton midfielder Muamba has been in the spotlight in recent days, with Abidal set to undergo a liver transplant in the coming weeks while Muamba is recovering at the London Chest Hospital following his cardiac arrest during Saturday's match at Tottenham.

Adriano, out of action for 10 days | FC Barcelona
The worst piece of news from this Tuesday’s match against Granada is that Adriano Correia will be on the sidelines for 10 days. FC Barcelona’s Medical Services have diagnosed the Brazilian defender with a semimembranosus muscle elongation in his right leg.

Four La Liga fixtures confirmed | FC Barcelona
The Professional Football League has confirmed the schedules for four more La Liga matches, week 31, 32, 33, and 34, this Tuesday. Therefore, Barça now knows the kickoff times for the games against Athletic Club, Zaragoza, Getafe and Levante. In between the Champions League tie with AC Milan, Barça will take on Marcelo Bielsa’s Athletic Club.

Ronaldo can rival magical Messi | Arsène Wenger - Yahoo! Sport UK
Is Lionel Messi the best player of all time? I am always careful about this kind of comparison because it is almost impossible. In his generation, he is certainly the best player for now because he has so many qualities: pace, dribbling, decision-making, efficiency and humility. It is rare to see a player with this kind of talent without any sort of arrogance.

Real Madrid to open theme park in UAE - Goal.com
Real Madrid will on Thursday announce plans to open their own theme park in United Arab Emirates. Its construction will be officially confirmed at a press conference at the Santiago Bernabeu, which is expected to be attended by club president Florentino Perez and a representative of Ras Al Khaimah's government, as well as several members of Los Blancos' first-team squad.

'I am close to returning', says Atletico Madrid's Diego - Goal.com
Atletico Madrid midfielder Diego has declared that he is on the verge of making a return to the first team. The Brazilian playmaker has been out of action for the last four weeks after suffering a muscle tear in his right thigh in the club's 1-1 draw against Sporting Gijon. The 27-year-old did ball work for the first time in a month during Monday's practice, and is optimistic about his chances of being match fit again soon.