Johan Neeskens speaks on the teams he and Coach Frank Rijkaard will be facing in the 2007/08 Uefa Champions League.


More reactions have come in from FC Barcelona officials concerning the champions League draws which have just been made. The latest reactions come from Johan Neeskens, who spoke on the draws and aired his views similar to what Txiki said earlier. The Dutch legend and vice-coach at FC Barcelona was informative about the potentials of ach team in the Group E of the Champions League, where Barcelona have been grouped:

Lyon are a strong and consistent side who have been the French champions of the last few years. They're no easy teams in this group, and Lyon play very well particularly at their own ground. For our French players, this will be a good tie, as they'll be eager to put in two good performances. They'll prove a tough rival. Stuttgart is an extremely tough opponent and, as a German club, it's very difficult to win on their pitch. In addition, they've signed Ewerthon, Mario Gomez and Cacau this season. These are all quality players. Against Stuttgart we'll need to give a hundred percent so that problems don't befall us. Rangers are a team that have been playing very well lately. They're top of their league, and are difficult to face away due to the special atmosphere at their stadium. They play a physical game with long balls and we'll need to concentrate hard.

Despite the fact that FC Barcelona were the top seed of the group, Neeskens dismises the favourites tag which the press have already started placing on Barca:

Favourites or not is of no help to us. It doesn't change anything. Indeed in all of Europe, I'm sure that they consider us group favourites. But it's still going to be far from easy. In order to make the next round, we'll have to play like a team, and give one hundred precent. But it is great that we don't have to travel many kilometers and flight hours. In addition, we don't have to go to Eastern countries like Russia, meaning we don't suffer from extreme weather and cold.

The Spanish "Comité de Competición de la Federación Española de Fútbol" has rejected FC Barcelona's appeal against the sending off of player thisago Motta, assistant coach Johan Neeskens and Barca delegate Carles Naval in the game against Real Zaragoza last Sunday at Camp Nou.
Instead the Competition Comittee confirmed a one match ban for Motta, Neeskens and Naval.

FC Barcelona is not happy with this decision and decided to bring the case forward to the Appeals Committee for having the bans revoked.

FC Barcelona will appeal to the Competition Committee to overturn the straight red card of Thiago Motta and further the sending off´s of assistant coach Johan Neeskens and Barca delegate Carles Naval during the game against Real Zaragoza on Sunday at Camp Nou.


The Competition Committee will meet on Tuesday evening and FC barcelona´s legal departement will use video evidence to support their case.


Referee Eduardo Iturralde González's wrote the following report about the sending off´s of Thiago Motta, Johan Neeskens and Carles Naval:

In minute 74, player number three, Motta, was sent off for striking an opponent in the face with his hand with the ball in play. In minute 74, FC Barcelona's second coach, Johan Neeskens, was sent off after he shook the Zaragoza number eleven on the back of his neck. In minute 79, the FC Barcelona delegate, Carlos Javier Naval Biosca, was sent off for angrily and continuously arguing with the refereeing decisions and for encroaching in the technical area after being warned not to by the fourth official.