09.10.2007 11:13
All the internationals with Barça interest
Sergi Nogueras
Once more Barça have suffered an exodus of players due to international matches. 13 players are away, some for more than a week.
Between friendlies, Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 qualifiers and Under 21 matches, Barça will be
missing Deco, with Portugal, Messi and Milito, with Argentina, Ronaldinho, with Brazil, Thuram,
Henry and Abidal, with France, Iniesta, Puyol and Xavi with Spain, Gudjohnsen with Iceland, Giovani
with Mexico and Bojan with Spain Under 21.
Run in towards Euro 2008
Qualification for Euro 2008 is going into its final stage. Spain, France, Iceland and
Portugal have especially tense matches. Henry, Abidal and Thuram desperately need all six points
out of their games with the Faroes and Lithuania on the 13th and 17th to keep up the pace with
Italy and Scotland. Spain are in a similar position. Luis Aragonés takes his side to Denmark on the
13th where a win would see them half way to the finals but defeat could prove catastrophic.
Deco’s Portugal also need to win as they face two of the weaker sides in Group A,
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Both are away fixtures, on the 13th and 17th respectively. Meanwhile,
Iceland now have no chance and qualifying, and take on Latvia on the 13th and Liechtenstein on the
17th.
Bojan seeks Under 21 Finals berth
One other Barça player has an official UEFA game this week. Bojan Krkic is helping Spain on
the way to the Under 21 European Championship to be held between the 14th and 27th June, 2009, in
Sweden. Wloklawec is the venue on Friday 12 as Poland take on Spain.
World Cup 2010 qualification
In South America interest has already turned to the 2010 World Cup. Argentina, with Milito
and Messi play Chile in Buenos Aires on the 13th and then go to Maracaibo in Venezuela on the 16th.
Ronaldinho also has two qualifiers this week, against Colombia on the 14th in Bogotá and then on
the 17th, Brazil face Ecuador in Río de Janeiro.
Friendlies
Other Barça players have friendly internationals ahead of them. Giovani has two. On the 14th
it is Mexico v Nigeria in Juárez (Mexico), and on the 17th its off to Los Ángeles (USA) and a game
with Guatemala. Spain, featuring Xavi, Puyol and Iniesta, also have a friendly, when they face
Finland in Helsinki on the 17th.