Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has insisted that possession football is the key to his side doing well at the World Cup finals in South Africa but warned that they cannot expect to have an easy passage through to the latter stages of the competition.

So far in their pre-tournament warm-up games la Furia Roja have encountered teams looking to defend and hit them on the counterattack and the coach insists they must be ready for whatever style of play an opponent presents during the finals, while sticking to their own game plan.

"I have no doubt about what is best for Spain. In every conversation I remind players that the key is possession, take the ball and know how to play. That's our style and our identity," he told AS.

"Anyone who thinks we're going to go 2-0 up in the first half hour of each game and against every opponent is wrong. We saw major teams in the pre-World Cup have been struggling, France, Italy and Portugal. What you need to do is have the possession, control and exploit the chances that we will make sure of.

"We will have more opponents with different styles but we have weapons to deal with that. Spain have matured in games. Against Korea those who played in the first half helped those who came on later to find the spaces."

As reported by Marca, the transfer rumours surrounding Liverpool players have kicked into top gear since the departure of Rafa Benitez as manager of the Reds. The biggest rumour is that tying Steven Gerrard to a Spain move to play in Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid team.

Of the players in the Madrid squad, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, Gerrard's former team-mates, know full well the Englishman's capabilities in midfield and when asked to speak of the Reds captain's possible arrival, Alonso had nothing but praise for his former midfield partner.

"We will have to see what happens in the end. Steven is synonomous with Liverpool's insignia and I have a lot of respect for the fans and for the club. But what is not in doubt is his ability. He's a great player with tremendous quality."

It has been reported that Mourinho is seeking a midfielder to pair with Alonso in midfield and the list of possible transfer targets includes Gerrard, Roma's Daniele De Rossi and Athletic Bilbao's Javi Martinez.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has defended the club's pursuit of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and admitted Yaya Toure could be on the move to the Premier League.

The Catalan giants had an official £29 million bid rejected for Fabregas this week, while reports have linked Toure with a switch to Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and the Gunners.

Speaking to reporters today, Laporta said: "Barça is making a considerable effort. To offer £29 million for a player like him it fits for our transfers prize. We are in negotiations and let's see how this develops. Sometimes, this kind of operation is resolved in such a speed and sometimes, in other."

Laporta also said he had "full confidence" that Arsenal will change their mind over Cesc and let the player go, considering "the player's interest" of reaching a deal. Finally, Laporta said "it's not Barcelona's style" when asked if Cesc would use the 17th article of FIFA rules on transfers to buy out his contract and leave Arsenal.

Laporta said on Yaya: "Both Touré, a player which I really like and I love, and Dimitri Seluk [his agent] get a great respect from me. Dimitri does his job putting first the player's interest, and I always will be grateful for him."

"I would like Barcelona to keep Yaya, but, if it can't be like that because he wants to have more presence in another team and he guarantee more playing time there, then we'll have to see."

Finally it looks like the FC Barcelona management has realised the need to find a replacement for the aging Henry. All of this summer's transfer saga has been around Cesc Fabregas. As I have written earlier Fabregas to Cost 80 Million, Barca were looking like losing focus of the bigger picture. But the latest set of rumours emerging is good news for Barca, which clearly shows an effort to strengthen the front left of attack. If the reports are to be believed, then FC Barcelona is trying to secure the signing of either Juan Mata of Valencia or Arjen Robben from Bayern Munich. It looks like both interest are in some early stage and we may have to wait and watch how these evolves. It is also to be seen whether these will have any effect of the attempt to sign Cesc Fabregas. I have earlier written an article the pointing out the benefits in signing Robben instead of Ribery, a target for Barca for sometime. The major benefit at that time looked like the price but now it is becoming clear that Bayern will not let Robben go cheaply.

Argentina arrives in South Africa in midst of another selection controversy. Pundits across the world is struggling to make sense of Diego Maradona's decision to omit Champions League winners Cambiasso and Zannetti. To an extent mayhem was expected in the selection process, as Maradona had to pick from a possible 100 players(he used that much for qualifying process). That in itself shoudld be a record. The final 23 players who is making to Argentina are Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andújar (Catania), Diego Pozo (Colon); Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Martín Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Gabriel Heinze (Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Vélez Sarsfield), Clemente Rodríguez (Estudiantes), Ariel Garcé (Colon); Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Juan Sebastián Veron (Estudiantes), Maximiliano Rodríguez (Liverpool), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina), Angel Di Maria (Benfica), Jonas Gutiérrez (Newcastle), Javier Pastore (Palermo); Sergio Agüero (Atlético Madrid), Diego Milito (Internazionale), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona). Zannetti's and Cambiasso's exclusion doesn't come as surprise for those who followed Argentinian qualification campaign. After a series of not so good performances, both the players fell out of favour with El Diego.

With eight FC Barcelona players in the national squad, Spain has to be the name on every Barca fans lips. I have to admit that they are just my second choice behind my all time favourites Argentina. Spain will be the most fancied team in this World Cup. Spain always had a wonderful team but somehow managed to fail consistently at the biggest stage. They were never counted as a favourite in any tournament prior to the Euro 2008. The Euro 2008 success has put Spain to where it belongs. That triumph has instilled a sense of self belief in the Spanish National side and most importantly in their fans. Spain comes to the World Cup with an extra ordinary unbeaten run behind them. The only blemish was the defeat to United States of America in the confederation cup. That may be come as a blessing in disguise as no Confederation Cup winners have ever lifted the World Cup. (History has this uncanny habit of repeating itself.)

FC Barcelona has the unique distinction of winning the European Cup in one of the Club’s sports sections every season for the last 15 years.
This amazing record started with the handball European Cup in 1996 and continued this season with the Euroleague basketball championship won by Navarro and co last Sunday in Paris.

18 European Cups

In fact, FC Barcelona has won 18 European Cups in the past 15 years. Top of the Club’s sports sections comes the roller hockey section, who have won Europe’s top club honour on no fewer than 8 occasions. The section also holds the Club record for the most European Cups – 18 altogether.

Next comes the handball section, which has lifted the European Cup six times in the 15-year period, the last time being against BM Ciudad Real in 2004-05.

Barcelona, Paris and Rome

The basketball section won the Euroleague for the first time in 2003 in a Final Four held in the Palau Sant Jordi here in Barcelona. Last Sunday, Paris witnessed the section’s second triumph in Europe’s top basketball competition, proving that the French capital brings the Club good fortune!

In 2006, the football team won the Champions League final against Arsenal in Paris while last year, Barca picked up their third trophy against another Premier League team, Manchester United, in Rome.

22 consecutive seasons of European triumph

If we include all European competitions then FC Barcelona has been represented by at least one of its sports sections on the roll call of winners every season since 1988-89.

This incredible run of success began with the football Cup Winners Cup won against Sampdoria en Berne in 1989. This has been followed by a flood of European honours in sports as diverse as football, basketball, handball and roller hockey, giving FC Barcelona an unparalleled record in European club sport.

On the verge of making history

But this year could be even more spectacular if the handball team win the Final Four in Cologne and the roller hockey team do the same in Valdagno. Added to the Euroleague already won by the basketball team, it would be the first time the Club has won the European Cup in three different sports in the same season.

So far the Club has won the European Cup in handball and roller hockey in the same season on three occasions: 1996-97, 1999-00 and 2004-05.