27.12.2009 14:05
League and Cup dominate January
Neus Pérez
Barca begin 2009 with a busy January full of La Liga and Spanish Cup commitments. The team are set to play seven games for sure during the month, with the possibility of two more if they reach the next round in the Cup.
After a well earned week of holidays, the squad will be back in training on December 29th to
prepare for a tough January schedule of five league and two, or maybe 4 cup games. After winning
everything on offer in 2009, Guardiola’s team will be looking to keep up the good work at the
start of the New Year.
Busy schedule
The Nou Camp will see the year kick off when Villarreal visit on
Saturday January 2nd at 20.00, with the first leg of the Spanish Cup tie against Seville three days
later. The return leg is set for the week of the 12th-14th with the exact day and time yet to be
confirmed.
Seville again
As well as the two Cup games, Seville and Barca will meet again on 17th
January at the Nou Camp in the league, with another league game in Tenerife set for the 10th . The
Champions then round off the month with games against Valladolid and Sporting Gijon.
Two more games possible
Should Barca beat Seville in the Cup, they will then face two more
games, against either Valencia or Deportivo in the quarter final, provisionally set for 20th with
the return at the Nou Camp on 27th.
African Nations Cup
Guardiola will be without his African players for the games, with Touré Yaya and
Seydou Keita representing Ivory Coast and Mali at the African Nations Cup, as well as Jeffren who
was injured in the friendly game in Kuwait.
Team with most games played
Barca have played more games than any other team in the Spanish League so far this season, having
gone through 15 league games, 6 in the Champions League,2 in the Spanish Cup, 2 in the Supercopa de
España, the Final of the European Super Cup and 2 in the FIFA World Club Cup.