FC Barcelona News: 16 April 2019

PREVIEW: FC Barcelona - Manchester United | FC Barcelona
The day has arrived that everyone has been waiting for: the return leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League. After the victory in the Theatre of Dreams (0-1), FC Barcelona will seek to qualify for the semi-finals. Most of Ernesto Valverde’s XI were rested at Huesca last weekend, whilst Manchester United won their league game against West Ham (2-1) before traveling to Barcelona.

The squad for Manchester United | FC Barcelona
The Champions League returns this Tuesday with a place in the semi-finals at stake, and Ernesto Valverde has called up 18 players for the second leg of the quarter-final. They are: Ter Stegen, N. Semedo, Piqué, I. Rakitic, Sergio, Coutinho, Arthur, Suárez, Messi, O. Dembélé, Cillessen, Malcom, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, S. Roberto, Vidal, Umtiti and Aleñá.

Ter Stegen: We want to be the best in both legs | FC Barcelona
Marc-André ter Stegen appeared before the press on Monday in build up to Barça’s Champions League quarter final second leg against Manchester United at Camp Nou, kick off 9.00pm CEST on Tuesday. The German goalkeeper touched on several topics ahead of the decisive clash with the Premier League side.

Lionel Messi’s passing is an underrated part of his genius | Sky Sports
“His numbers are stratospheric, incredible,” Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said when that target was reached. “But it’s not just the goals - it’s everything else he does too.” It is an important point. So stunning are those goal statistics and so eye-catching are the dribbling abilities that it has become all too easy to overlook the fact that Messi also happens to be the greatest passer of a football in the game today.

Dembele is ‘much better’ than Neymar, insists Barcelona president Bartomeu | Goal
“It’s not possible for Neymar to come to Barcelona as we have another sporting project with Dembele and [Philippe] Coutinho,” Bartomeu told TVE ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester United.

Griezmann ‘not on table’ for Barca as Bartomeu refuses to rule out De Ligt move | Goal
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu insisted Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann is not in the club’s plans, though he refused to rule out a move for Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt. Griezmann was linked with Barca prior to the 2018 World Cup before committing his future to Atletico.

From world champion to broken and error-prone - Samuel Umtiti’s miserable season | Goal
The Barcelona star was on top of the world, but it proved a slippery place to stand. Now, there are genuine questions over his future in Catalunya, with his fitness and form still a worry, while the club are working on a deal to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax.

Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto: Real Madrid wanted to sign me | Football Espana
Now 27, Roberto moved to Barca’s La Masia youth academy aged 14 having previous played at youth level for Gimnastic de Tarragona.“ I was playing in the youth team at Gimnastic de Tarragona when Real Madrid approached me,” Roberto told TV3, in quotes cited by Marca.“ It was at the same time that Barcelona then also made contact with the club and with my father, who back then was supporting Madrid.