Xavi and Koke, face to face

The Barça and Atletico Madrid midfielders answer the same questions ahead of the Champions League quarter final

With the quarter final first leg set for this week, the Barça and Atletico Madrid midfield generals, Xavi Hernández and Koke, who are teammates for Spain, answer our questions. Xavi admits he wasn't too happy aboout the draw, whilst Koke is looking forward to an exciting tie.

2010-11 Season. FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (0-1)

Date: 20-04-2011
Venue: Mestalla (Valencia)
FC Barcelona: Pinto, Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Adriano (Maxwell, 119’), Sergio Busquets (Keita, 108’), Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Messi, Villa (Afellay, 106’).
Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Carvalho (Garay, 119’), Marcelo, Pepe, Xabi Alonso, Khedira (Granero,103’), Di María, Cristiano Ronaldo, Özil (Adebayor, 70’).
Referee: Undiano Mallenco.
Goal: 0-1, Cristiano Ronaldo (103’).

1989-90 Season. FC Barcelona v Reial Madrid (2-0)

Date: 05-04-1990
Venue Lluís Casanova (Valencia)
FC Barcelona: Zubizarreta, Aloisio (Serna, 27’), Alexanko, Koeman, Amor (Soler, 70’), Bakero, Salinas, Eusebio, Laudrup, Robert, Begiristain.
Reial Madrid: Buyo, Chendo, Gordillo, Hierro, Sanchís, Ruggeri, Butrageño (J. Llorente, 63’), Míchel (Aldana, 77’), Martín Váquez, Hugo Sánchez, Schuster.
Referee García de Loza.
Goals: 1-0, Amor (68’); 2-0, Salinas (90’).

1982-83 Season. FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2-1)

Date: 04-06-1983
Vanue La Romareda (Zaragoza)
FC Barcelona: Urruti, Sánchez, Migueli, Gerardo, Julio Alberto, Víctor, Schuster, Esteban (Morán, 80’), Marcos, Maradona, Carrasco.
Real Madrid: Miguel Ángel, San José, Bonet, Metgod, Camacho, Ángel, Gallego, Stielike, Salguero, Juanito (Isidro, 74’), Santillana.
Referee: García Carrión.
Goals: 1-0, Víctor (31’); 1-1, Santillana (50’); 2-1, Marcos (89’).

1973-74 Season. Real Madrid v FC Barcelona (4-0)

Date: 29-06-1974
Venue: Vicente Calderón (Madrid)

Real Madrid: Miguel Ángel, José Luis (Touriño, 83’), Benito, Rubiñán, Pirri, Grosso (Zoco, 83’), Aguilar, Del Bosque, Santillana, Velázquez, Macanás.
FC Barcelona: Sadurní, Rifé, Gallego, De la Cruz, Juan Carlos, Costas, Rexach, Juanito, Clares, Asensi (Martí Filosia, 56’), Marcial.
Referee: Sánchez Ríos.
Goals: 1-0, Santillana (5’); 2-0, Rubiñán (46’); 3-0, Aguilar (50’); 4-0, Pirri (82’)

1967-68 Season. Real Madrid v FC Barcelona (0-1)

Date: 11-07-1968
Venue: Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid)
Real Madrid: Betancort, Miera, Zunzunegui, Sanchís, Pirri, Zoco, Serena, Amancio, Grosso, José Luis, Pérez.
FC Barcelona: Sadurní, Torres, Gallego, Eladio, Zabalza, Fusté, Rifé, Zaldúa, Mendonça, Pereda, Rexach.
Referee: Rigo Sureda.
Goal: Zunzunegui (min.6, own goal).

1935-36 Season. Real Madrid v FC Barcelona (2-1)

Date: 21-06-1936
Venue: Mestalla (Valencia)
Real Madrid: Zamora, Ciriaco, Quincoces, P. Regueiro, Bonet, Souto, Eugenio, L. Regueiro, Sañudo, Lecue, Emilín.
FC Barcelona: Iborra, Areso, Bayo, Argemí, Franco, Balmanya, Vantolrà, Raich, Escolà, Fernández, Munlloch.
Referee: Ostalé Gómez.
Goals: 1-0, Eugenio (6’); 2-0, Lecue (12’); 2-1, Escolà (29’).

The six previous Cup Finals against Real Madrid

The first meeting between the two clubs in a Cup Final was in 1935-36 and the last was just two years ago in 2010-11 

The record is three wins each

On April 19, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will once again be meeting in the Spanish Cup Final. It will be seventh time this has happened, and to date the two clubs have won three finals each against their biggest rivals.

FC Barcelona presents the first 'simpsonized' players

On occasion of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the first episode of the “The Simpsons”, the FOX network has negotiated agreements with major companies and personalities in different sectors 

The first four players to receive this treatment are Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Neymar 

Fox picked FC Barcelona because it is one of the most beloved teams in sports today

FC Barcelona and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products have unveiled the “Simpsonized” versions of Messi, Neymar, Xavi and Iniesta as part of a first-of-its-kind campaign featuring a collaboration between the US based company and the football club. FC Barcelona will co-create a broad line of branded merchandise that will be available to consumers in 2014.

On occasion of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the first episode of the “The Simpsons”, the FOX network has negotiated agreements with major companies and personalities in different sectors. Fox picked FC Barcelona because it is one of the most beloved teams in sports today. The agreement, which last until 2015, involves the two entities working together to create a broad range of merchandised products, with two highly differentiated focuses.

The first involves “Simpsonizing” members of the first team. The first four players to receive this treatment are Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Neymar, although there will eventually be ten in all, the identity of whom will be revealed shortly.

The other focus is on dressing popular characters from the series in Barça uniforms. It is important to note that the “Simpsonized” players will only be used for merchandising purposes – there are no plans for them to actually appear in the TV series. In addition to FC Barcelona, other clubs involved in similar projects are Chelsea, Juventus, Boca Juniors, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Corinthians and Porto. Additional teams are expected to be announced over the forthcoming months.

The Simpsons

“The Simpsons” is the longest running scripted TV show in the United States. It has won 28 Emmy Awards and was named ‘Best Show of the 20th Century’ by Time magazine. It was a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s and has continued to be one of the most highly appraised and innovative TV shows in the world. Its 25th season is currently showing, and the 26th is already in production.