The League is complicated, but not lost

The Barça captain appealled to the pride and professionalism of the team to keep fighting for the League title, until the end of the season 

 

The central defender accepted that Barça didn’t play well in the first half in Pamplona, and believes that the state of the pitch was more detrimental to them than the intense cold

Win games and hope Madrid slip up

For Puyol, Barca must now carry on in the League the same way they did in other years, when they were leading for much of the season. "Before, we were in front and we were forced to keep winning win because they were close behind. Now we must try to win, to put pressure on them to do the same" said the central defender. He added that, although they're dependent on Real Madrid to be able to reduce the distance between them, their objective is " to focus on ourselves. We have to try and win, and if we get there, great, and if not, at least we tried".

Barça caught cold in Pamplona

Barça are further than ever from retaining their league title after losing at the Reyno de Navarra. The visitors struggled to get into their stride in a game played on a freezing evening on a pitch in appalling condition. But Osasuna did a far better job of interpreting the situation, and went 2-0 up early on. Barça came out much stronger after the break and had Osasuna pegged back in their own half for most of what remained of the game. At moments it looked like the Catalans might be able to turn things around, but ultimately they were missing the luck they needed to get anything positive out of a frustrating game.

Talks between LFP and AFE Break Down, Light Recovery Training for Players

 

Talks break up between league and players
However, the league (LFP) said it had now been forced to halt talks in the face of what it described as AFE "intransigence". "After months of talks, the LFP yesterday felt obliged to break off negotiations over a Collective Accord for professional football given the intransigence of the AFE's position at the table," an LFP statement said.

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell hopeful Pep Guardiola will sign contract extension
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell remains hopeful that coach Pep Guardiola will imminently extend his contract with the club. Guardiola's current deal expires at the end of the season and the former B team coach has yet to give any indication as to whether he intends to remain at Camp Nou beyond the summer.

Count on Barcelona at the end of the season

 

Gerard Piqué was upbeat when he talked to the press after the team’s training session at the Ciutat Esportiva: “If someone told me we’d be here at the beginning of the season, I’d sign on the dotted line. We’ve won the three competitions we’ve played in, we have a fourth final secured, we’re alive in the Liga and we’re about to play in the last 16 in the Champions League. We give it our all every weekend and that’s the most important thing. Count on us at the end of the season ... There’s a lot of Liga left and we’ll give it our all. Other teams will have to win, perhaps the competition will prove a bit too long for them. People need to have confidence in us.”

Piqué called on his team to keep up their form ahead of this weekend’s match and he also said that there is no need for the Barça first team to prove itself: “I don’t think we have to prove ourselves. I believe that we always want to do the best job possible. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t, but the desire is always there.” After a very demanding January schedule, Piqué said: “the load is brutal. You have to be very strong both physically and mentally. We have all participated and we all feel important [within the team]. We feel as though the load is a bit lighter after getting into the Cup final, our schedule isn’t as demanding now.”