FC Barcelona News: 10 July 2013; Lionel Messi Shortlisted for UEFA Player of the Year, Barça Receive Fair Play Award

Leo Messi nominated for UEFA player of the year 2012/13 | FC Barcelona
Leo Messi is one of the candidates for the UEFA player of the year award for 2012/13, as announced on Tuesday. The Argentinian is the only FC Barcelona to be shortlisted for an award won last year by Andrés Iniesta (2012) and by Messi himself a year before that in 2011.

Transfer news: Man Utd target Thiago to begin pre-season with Barcelona | Sky Sports
Thiago Alcantara is to begin pre-season with Barcelona despite reports of interest from Manchester United. The Spain international has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford in light of the fact that the player currently has a release clause of €18million.

FC Barcelona receive Fair Play Award for third year running | FC Barcelona
On Tuesday, the Spanish Football Presentation has presented FC Barcelona with the Fair Play Award 2012/13. Barça topped the table with 74 points, well clear of Valladolid (88 points) and Real Sociedad (102). The award uses a points system based on cards and other penalties throughout the season.

Barça to play Levante on opening day | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona will start La Liga 2013/14 at home to Levante on the weekend of August 17 and 18. It will be the first time they have started a campaign against the Valencian outfit. FC Barcelona won both matches against Levante last season, winning 4-0 on the road and then edging a 1-0 win at the Camp Nou thanks to a late goal from Cesc.

First clásico of the season in Barcelona on October 26/27 | FC Barcelona
The first clásico of the season will be in the 10th round of Liga action, to be played on October 26/27. Today’s draw in Madrid has determined that Barça and Real Madrid will be meeting first at the Camp Nou, and then they’ll meet again at the Santiago Bernabéu in round 29 on March 22/23.

Villa: I can only be grateful to Barcelona - Goal.com
"I can only be grateful to Barca for their respect and special appreciation, and I would like to thank them for giving me three years at a club as great as Barca," Villa was quoted as saying by Marca. "I have no complaints about Barcelona and they made it easy for me to move to Atletico because they knew I wanted to play here. I hope I can be just as happy at Atleti as I was at Barca.

Barca target Marquinhos mixed up in Roma row - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Serie A giants Roma have threatened legal action against a radio station that aired private conversations between their directors after it was alleged that phone calls were illegally intercepted. A conversation between director of sport Walter Sabatini and general manager Claudio Fenucci was apparently recorded because one of the two men forgot to hang up the phone after giving an interview to AS Roma Radio staff.

Barcelona 'agree terms with Thiago Silva' - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
The Paris Saint-Germain central defender has been on Barca boss Tito Vilanova’s radar for some time and, after several months of intense negotiation and contact in recent weeks, the report claims the player has agreed terms and now hopes his club will put a price on his head.

Everton set to loan Barcelona youngster | GiveMeSport
Everton are close to securing the signing of Barcelona youngster Gerard Deulofeu on a season-long loan, according to Spanish paper El Mundo Deportivo. The 19-year-old also courted interest from Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, but it seems he will be heading to the blue half of Merseyside.

Bargains on offer in Spanish fire sale | Pitchside Europe - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Which country produces the finest top-level footballers in the world? Spain or Brazil. Which one of those two is in a financial crisis, with indebted football clubs needing to sell their best players? It’s not Brazil. The sales start in Spain on July 1. They used to be only in shops, but now, with football clubs owing the tax agency a combined total of 690 million euros (£593 million), they’re in football too.

Demichelis set for Atletico | Football Espana
According to Spanish radio station COPE, the Argentine international is poised to join Los Rojiblancos for one season in exchange for €1.5m, after which he will return to his native country to wind down his playing days with former club River Plate, where he began as a youngster.

Athletic announce German friendlies - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Ernesto Valverde’s men will be based in Leogang, a famous winter sports and summer mountain biking resort in the state of Salzburg, and will face Eintracht Braunschweig and TSG Hoffenheim. The match with Eintracht, newly promoted to the Bundesliga, will take place in the Austrian town of Kufstein on July 20, with the Hoffenheim game pencilled in for three days later at Leogang’s Sportzplatz.

Villarreal to sign dos Santos - ESPN FC
Villarreal have confirmed the signing of Mallorca forward Giovani dos Santos is imminent, with reports suggesting the Mexico international will agree to a four-year deal. Mallorca were relegated from La Liga last season after finishing just one point away from safety, with Villarreal promoted to the top flight after finishing second in the Segunda division.

Transfer news: Espanyol have rejected a bid for Wakaso | Sky Sports
Espanyol have rejected a bid from an unnamed 'European club' for Ghana international Wakaso. Reports in Spain suggest that an offer of €4.5million (£3.9m) has been immediately knocked back. A sale has not been entirely ruled out, but it is being speculated that it would take €8million (£6.9m) to bring Espanyol to the negotiating table.