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FC Barcelona News: 21 September 2013; Barça Travel to Madrid Without Sergio Busquets, Third Kit Revealed

By Bostjan Cernensek
David Ramos

To Madrid without Busquets | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona will be taking a squad of 19 players to Madrid. The coaches have decided to rest Sergio Busquets, while the other players as the same as the ones that faced Ajax. So, Tata Martino, who is flying straight to Madrid from Argentina and will be waiting for the team there, will need to drop one more player from the definitive squad to take on Rayo Vallecano.

FC Barcelona arrive in Madrid for this evening's game against Rayo | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona arrived in Madrid this morning ahead of this evening’s game against Rayo Vallecano for the fifth game of the league season, 20 days after their last trip to Valencia. The 19 players called up, as well as the coaching staff landed at Barajas airport at 11.30 this morning.

Jorge Pautasso: "We'll never take the Barça style away" | FC Barcelona
Tata Martino made it clear that he is not here to change FC Barcelona’s way of playing, and his assistant Jorge Pautasso reiterated the point by saying "we’ll never take the style away, we have come here to add to, not take away from, what Barça has done so well in recent years. If things go bad for a while and we drop back and regroup, that doesn’t mean we’re playing on the counter attack".

Mixed bag of results at Vallecas | FC Barcelona
The two most recent trips to Vallecas have produced dramatic Barça wins, 7-0 in the 2011/12 season and 5-0 in 2012/13, mainly thanks to Barça punishing Rayo for their ambitious but risky tactics. But games have not always gone quite so well for the Catalans at Vallecas.

Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez suffering from lack of confidence - ESPN FC
"I believe I am not feeling fully confident," Sanchez said. "There are games when I get too excited in some moves." Sanchez said he was not concerned as he knew he had the backing of both Blaugrana coach Gerardo Martino and his team-mates. "I have the confidence of the coach and the team, which makes me feel good on the pitch," he said. "I have not yet reached the height of my potential."

The Barça third kit for 2013/14 will be black | FC Barcelona
The new FC Barcelona third kit for the 2013/2014 season is a powerful black with yellow trimmings. The shirt, which will go on sale starting this Friday September 21st, stands out for its black modern sailor collar with a smooth black body and striking yellow vertical stripes. Fans will note the yellow and red colours of the Catalan flag on the inside of the collar and the sleeves.

The ten Víctor Valdés penalty saves | FC Barcelona
Víctor Valdés is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world right now. He is best known for his interventions during open play, but he also knows how to stop penalties. Wednesday’s stop against Sigthorsson (Ajax) was the tenth time that Valdés has saved a spot-kick since joining the Barça first team. His first was in 2004 at Balaídos against Celta Vigo.

Recreativo v Barça B: Costly loss in Huelva (3-0) | FC Barcelona
Barça B have suffered heavy defeat in Huelva. Eusebio Sacristán’s side conceded three second half goals at the Nuevo Colombino. The second loss of the season also means it is the Andalusians, and not Barça B, who are provisional leaders of the second division.

'Quit Smoking with Barça’ wins the Euro Effie Award | FC Barcelona
The Euro Effie Awards recognise the excellence in commecial communications with proven efficacy in two or more European countries. It’s worth noting that the ‘Quit Smoking with Barça’ campaign has produced tangible results as more than 70,000 individuals in 27 European Union countries have registered with the programme.

LFP chief not opposed to third-party investment - ESPN FC
UEFA has previously called on FIFA to prohibit the third-party ownership of players' transfer rights, while the European governing body’s president, Michel Platini, has said the idea of third parties buying and selling footballers is morally wrong. However, LFP chief Tebas said the concept had been unfairly criticised.

Bernabeu set for retractable roof - Goal.com
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has announced plans for a €400 million renovation of the Santiago Bernabeu, that will include the installation of a fully-retractable roof. The 85,000 seater stadium is one of the world's most iconic arenas but Perez is determined to push through with an overhaul of facilities, while insisting that the move will not result in an increase in season ticket prices.

Casillas set to stay despite miserable year at Real Madrid - Goal.com
Iker Casillas is set to stay at Real Madrid until at least the summer despite his nightmare year at the Spanish side, Goal can reveal. The Spain skipper has barely featured for Madrid in 2013 and was hit with a fresh setback on Tuesday as he was forced off through injury after just 13 minutes of his first-team return at Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Atletico are the real deal despite Falcao sale - Yahoo Eurosport UK
Four straight league wins to go top of the table and a convincing 3-1 victory over Zenit St Petersburg in their Champions League opener mean Atletico are being viewed as a force at home and abroad. The only blot in a near-perfect start to the season was their narrow away-goals defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup after the first and second legs ended in draws.

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