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FC Barcelona News: 15 January 2014; Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta Train Separately, Marc Bartra Celebrates Birthday

Denis Doyle

All available players train at the Ciutat Esportiva | FC Barcelona
All available players participated in the session held at the Ciutat Esportiva this Tuesday afternoon. Gerard Piqué trained apart from the team as did Andrés Iniesta. Isaac Cuenca and Ibrahim Afellay trained with the group. FC Barcelona will train again on Wednesday afternoon, also at 6:00 PM CET, to prepare for the Copa del Rey match away to Getafe on Thursday. Tata Martino will reveal the squad that will travel to Madrid on Wednesday.

Marc Bartra is 23 today! | FC Barcelona
Marc Bartra is 23 this Wednesday. In his second season with the first team squad, Bartra - who joined the Club at the age of 11 - actually made his debut when he was 19, on February 14, 2010, when the team narrowly lost(2-1) to Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderón. He came on as a sub for Jeffren on 62 minutes and slotted in at right back.

Sergi Roberto hopes to play like Xavi one day | FC Barcelona
"Tata Martino is very important for me. During this time I haven’t given up and I work hard every day. Now I hope to make good on his confidence by playing well and helping the team. I have to continue working hard and earning my playing time both in games and in training sessions." He was also clear that he has no intention of leaving the Club he joined eight years ago.

FC Barcelona has the best goal average of the top 5 European leagues | FC Barcelona
The stats don’t lie. FC Barcelona has the best goal average of the top 5 European leagues. No team from either the Spanish Primera, Serie A, Bundesliga, Premier, or Ligue 1 have a better goal difference than Barça (+41), with 53 goals scored and only 12 let in by Martino’s Barça in the first phase of La Liga.

Luis García retires | FC Barcelona
"I’ve reached the moment, it’s not easy for anyone and it’s no one can avoid it. I’ve enjoyed the sport that excites me most for many years, I’ve experienced great moments and I saw my dream become reality when I was just a child. Today I decide to retire as a professional footballer. I am thankful for the interest from the teams I’ve spoken to in the last weeks, but I think it’s time for me to end this important chapter of my life and start a new one."

Depeche Mode visit FC Barcelona's training session | FC Barcelona
The legendary British group Depeche Mode, who have a show at the Palau Sant Jordi on Wednesday, visited FC Barcelona’s training session this afternoon. The members of the group looked on as the team trained, at the end of the session the players posed for photos with the group.

How newly-lovable Ronaldo won more than just the Ballon d’Or | Early Doors - Yahoo Eurosport UK
Ever since he burst into English football in the 2003-04 season, Cristiano Ronaldo has divided opinion. Exquisitely talented? Yes. A phenomenal physical specimen, blessed with imposing physical size, incredible speed and outrageous gifts of coordination? Yes. But for years, the admiration of those qualities was played against the negative perceptions of his character.

Atletico Madrid beat Valencia 2-0 and Racing Santander win 2-0 at Almeria | Sky Sports
Holders Atletico Madrid and third-tier Racing Santander advanced to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Tuesday evening at the expense of Valencia and Almeria, respectively. Diego Simeone had vowed heading into the second leg of the last-16 tie that his side's defence of their cup crown would not take a backseat just because they were doing well in the Primera Division and Champions League.

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