Barcelona: Newly crowned Spanish champion Barcelona celebrated winning the league title in front of their home fans by easing to a 2-1 victory over Valladolid on Sunday. While rain and dropping temperatures threatened to dampen the party in the stands, Barcelona had little trouble keeping alive its bid to equal Real Madrid's 2012 record haul of 100 points even without the injured Lionel Messi.
The weather cleared up in time for Messi to join the rest of his team-mates to receive the trophy, which captain Carles Puyol handed over for coach Tito Vilanova and defender Eric Abidal to lift to the cheers of the Camp Nou crowd in recognition of the serious health problems both have come back from this season.
"We won the league, but the most important thing is that Eric and Tito are with us," said Puyol, before adding the traditional battle cry of "Long live Barca! And long live Catalonia!"
Vilanova underwent surgery in December to remove a second throat tumor in two years, and only returned after receiving further cancer treatment for 10 weeks in New York. He is set to return to New York this week for more tests. Abidal, meanwhile, returned to the pitch recently after having recovered from a liver transplant last year....
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08:26 AM, May 20, 2013
Barcelona: Injured Barcelona centre backs Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano will miss Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg at Bayern Munich, assistant coach Jordi Roura said on Friday. Club captain Puyol had arthroscopic surgery on the cartilage in his right knee in March and Mascherano damaged ligaments in the same joint in Barca's 2-2 quarter-final first leg draw at Paris St Germain on April 2. "Puyol won't be available for...
10:18 PM, Apr 19, 2013
The 34-year-old Spain centre back had arthroscopic surgery at a clinic in the Catalan capital, Barca. ...
06:31 AM, Mar 16, 2013
Carles Puyol has signed a three-year contract extension that will likely see him finish his career at his boyhood club. ...
09:55 AM, Jan 23, 2013
Teammates Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol also agreed to new deals with the Catalan club. ...
04:56 PM, Dec 18, 2012
Madrid: Deportivo La Coruna and Celta Vigo will look to capitalize on Barcelona and Real Madrid's defensive frailties on Saturday when the Spanish league returns from the international break. Barcelona travels to face Deportivo with an eight-point advantage over Madrid. The Catalan team remains without defenders Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol as it vies to extend its unbeaten start to eight games. Madrid's defense is without backs Alvaro Arbeloa, Marcelo...
01:02 PM, Oct 19, 2012
Madrid: Barcelona striker David Villa is recovering well from a broken leg but the club will not rush him back into action before he is ready, captain Carles Puyol said on Tuesday. Villa, Spain's all-time leading scorer who joined Barca from Valencia two years ago, broke his left leg competing in the Club World Cup in December and has not played since. The 30-year-old missed Spain's triumphant Euro 2012 campaign...
06:48 PM, Jul 31, 2012
Four years ago, Spain made history at the Euros, finally ending 44 years of pain and misery as the perennial under-achievers of international football. Now they arrive at Euro 2012 as defending champions and World Cup winners, looking to become the first side to win three major international trophies in a row. It is no surprise that Spain are the favourites once again, with the core of the squad that...
11:49 AM, Jun 04, 2012
