"[56], On 15 March, Barcelona's secretary and spokesperson Toni Freixa appeared in a press conference to make public that Barcelona will sue Cadena COPE after the reports implicating Barcelona in doping.

For the draw, clubs were separated into seeded and unseeded teams based on their club coefficient. [75], On 30 April, Barcelona's 32-games unbeaten run came to an end after a 2–1 loss to Real Sociedad at Anoeta Stadium. For using this site, please activate JavaScript. Last updated: 25 May 2011Source: Competitive matches, Last updated: 2 JulySource: FC Barcelona Official Website, 01-12-2010 Copa Catalunya (final, 3x1). Right now, the team is not at full strength at this point in the season. The final was played on 22 May 2010, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, in Madrid, Spain. [16] The two clubs competing in the Final had each won their domestic league and cup competitions, meaning that the winner became only the sixth club in Europe to have achieved a continental treble, and the first such club from their respective countries. [36] In regards to Madrid, Pep stated, "This match isn't representative of the difference between the two teams. The final of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League was played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid on 22 May 2010, between Germany's Bayern Munich and Italy's Inter Milan. The draws for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final (to determine the "home" team) was held on 19 March 2010, conducted by Gianni Infantino and Emilio Butragueño, the ambassador for the final in Madrid. The first legs were played on 14 and 15 July, and the second legs were played on 21 and 22 July 2009. [13] The stadium, home of Real Madrid, has hosted three previous European Cup finals, in 1957, 1969 and 1980. Pedro sealed it with a 54th-minute goal. [74] Barcelona's back-up goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto saw a red card at half-time for a scuffle with Real Madrid's defender Álvaro Arbeloa when both teams went to the locker rooms. [81], On 21 May, Barcelona finish its league season with a win 1–3 over Málaga at La Rosaleda Stadium while playing most of its back-up and canterano players. The draw for the group stage was held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on 27 August 2009. Order of legs switched after original draw. [2][3], A total of 76 teams participated in the 2009–10 Champions League, from 52 UEFA associations (Liechtenstein organises no domestic league competition). An extra qualifying round, the play-off round, was introduced from this season. [26] The game showcased Barça's mastering of the tiki-taka in combination with the Total Football philosophy and the superb team-work of whom many consider the top three players in the world: Messi, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. [85] Messi was awarded Man of the Match[86] and with his goal he matches Ruud van Nistelrooy as the all-time top season scorer with 12 goals in this year's version.[87].

Country: England ## England ; Spain ; Worldwide ... Messi criticism taken on board by Barca, says club vice-president. [48] Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to ensure the victory for his side and after the match stated, "It's an honor to be able to pass a record set by a great like Di Stéfano" and, "If the record has been around for so long is because it's very complicated to achieve and we have reached it by defeating a very difficult team who's going through a bad situation, which makes it even more difficult. They are a very good team, they came here unbeaten and as league leaders. It was also the second consecutive treble, following that of Barcelona in the previous season. We expect a difficult year in which things have to be won by ourselves.

[1] The final was won by Italian club Inter Milan, who beat German side Bayern Munich 2–0. He continue to berate the new board by stating, "My greatest desire after spending a few years of my life at Barça and the results we got was to become a socio, go back to my seat, go to football games with my kids and enjoy this club. [5], Barcelona started their transfer window only three days after the end of the 2009–10 season, by reaching an agreement with Valencia for Spanish international David Villa worth €40 million. [40], On 10 January, Lionel Messi was crowned the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or winner. Departures 49/50 . The draw for the round of 16 was held on 18 December 2009, conducted by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and Giorgio Marchetti, the UEFA Director of Competitions. At first sight, it was feared that Messi suffered a broken ankle that could have kept the star player away from the pitch for a minimum of six months, but MRIs performed the next day in Barcelona showed he suffered a sprain in the internal and external ligaments of his right ankle.

[43], On 29 January, Barça defeated Hércules 0–3 to match the record for most consecutive league wins in a La Liga season, at 15.