FOOTBALL: MAN. UTD. AND BARCA THROUGH

No surprises in this year's Champions League campaign. Everything is pretty much expected all the way. I was expecting some surprises in terms of giant upsets. Well, it was not meant to be.

Anyway, Liverpool will host Chelsea first on the 23rd of April 2008 and later Chelsea host Liverpool on the 30th April 2008. Barcelona will be hosting the first leg on the 23rd April and Manchester United will host the second leg on the 29th April 2008. Who will be your favourites to reach the final? Liverpool VS. Man. Utd.? Liverpool VS. Barcelona? Chelsea VS. Man. Utd.? Chelsea VS. Barcelona? All possible! Base on the current form though, it looks like Liverpool VS. Man. Utd. as a bigger possibility!

Well, I read about this news from Goal.com below regarding Barcelona players. I am not sure how true it is as we can never totally believe everything that's said in Goal.com all the time.

Barça Director Spills Beans On Squad Split

The club's economic president, Xavier Sala Martín, has revealed that some of the Blaugrana's first team players are "separated" from the rest, and that the club disguises this ostracism by claiming the players are "injured".

Without naming those involved, Martín continued by stating that there are players who "do what they want" and, therefore, are used to training less than their team-mates.

"It is unjust that one, two or three of them have so many days off and that out of 60 training session they only attend around 20 or so," he blasted.

Another source of irritation for the outspoken board member is the rumour that president Joan Laporta is happy to let this continue. Martín claims that the opposite is the case.

"It is unfair to say that Mr. Laporta is not acting," he explained.

"These players do not work, they do almost nothing and they are not playing for weeks as they spend a long time out with injuries and such like. But they are separate and isolated from the squad."

Barcelona's woes are beginning to be exposed and the rumours that the club will off-load those stars that they believe have effectively stopped playing are starting to grow.

Ronaldinho is one obvious candidate that could well have taken part in his last game for the club, and Deco is another player who could be on the way out after rarely featuring this term.

Ian Dixon, Goal.com