FC Barcelona News: 1 February 2019

Dembele didn’t train and won’t face Valencia | Marca
After missing Thursday’s training session, Ousmane Dembele will not take part in Barcelona’s match against Valencia on Saturday. Coach Ernesto Valverde had already indicated that it was unlikely the Frenchman would feature against Los Che, which was confirmed when he didn’t train.

Umtiti continues his recovery in Thursday training | FC Barcelona
Samuel Umtiti continues to recover from problems with his left knee, having begun a conservative treatment programme in Barcelona late last month. The Frenchman was training at the Ciutat Esportiva on Thursday, undertaking his workload separately from the rest of the squad. Umtiti had previously spent time in Doha (Qatar) at the beginning of the recovery process, under the supervision of the club’s medical team.

How Samuel Umtiti’s Barcelona recovery is going | Sport
The cente-back has been taking treatement at the club’s training ground since December 30, working on the margin of the group. On Thursday he was back on the grass. Umtiti said a few days ago that “the injury feels good” and he wants to “get back as soon as possible”. However Ernesto Valverde is not so sure.

Jean-Clair Todibo transfer to FC Barcelona brought forward | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona and Toulouse FC have arrived at an agreement for the French player Jean-Clair Todibo, with whom Barça had previously agreed to incorporate beginning on July 1, 2019, to instead join the Catalan club with immediate effect. The 19 year old will sign for the next four and a half seasons, through the end of the 2022/23 season.

Background: Jean-Clair Todibo, an atypical teenager | Sport
Jean-Clair has a very good background. Maybe he has not yet been touched by the flavors of fame, but his education and good manners hint that he is a good lad. A good lad to whom the sudden jump to Barça has caught a little unsuspecting, but whose eyes distill a tremendous hope.

Agreement with Atlético Mineiro for Emerson transfer | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona and Atlético Mineiro have reached an agreement for the transfer of Emerson Aparecida Leite de Souza Junior. The Brazilian will be officially joining the Catalan club on 1 July 2019. The fee has been set at €12m and the player will be signing for the next five seasons, through to 2023/24.

Surplus of centre-backs at Barcelona | Marca
Ernesto Valverde’s job becomes more complicated with his arrival and he now has more players competing for the same number of positions; he must keep the players hungry for when they do get their opportunity.

Sergi Roberto: Barça’s comeback king | FC Barcelona
March 8th, 2017, is one of the most historic dates in FC Barcelona history. It was the day in which the Blaugrana shocked the world with an amazing turnaround against PSG. Down 4-0 on aggregate after the first leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie, they fought back to win 6-1 in the second leg and go through to the quarter finals. The player who scored the decisive goal was Sergi Roberto.

Messi enjoys his very own Cirque du Soleil performance | Marca
The Camp Nou hosted a special event on Thursday evening as Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Rocuzzo attended a unique Cirque Du Soleil performance based on him. He was joined by Luis Suarez, along with many of his teammates and friends on an exceptional occasion.

La Liga to sponsor new Davis Cup finals backed by Gerard Pique | ESPN
The Spanish league will sponsor the new Davis Cup Finals organised by a group founded by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. La Liga says it will promote the tennis competition through its international broadcasts in Europe, Asia, Africa, the United States and Latin America.