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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Vilanova, Neymar and where it's all going wrong... Barca president Rosell holds crunch board meeting

Vilanova, Neymar and where it's all going wrong... Barca president Rosell holds crunch board meeting 

By Charlie Skillen

PUBLISHED: 09:52 GMT, 4 March 2013 | UPDATED: 09:57 GMT, 4 March 2013

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell faces a meeting with his board today over the future of the Catalan giants.

Despite running away with La Liga, sitting 11 points clear of nearest challengers Atletico Madrid, recent results have seen this meeting take on extra importance.

Barca face an uphill battle to continue their progress in the Champions League when they host AC Milan next week, 2-0 down from the first leg at the San Siro.

Crisis? Barcelona players, including Lionel Messi (left), Andres Iniesta (centre) and Alexis Sanchez look dejected at Saturday's 2-1 loss to El Clasico rivals Real Madrid

Crisis? Barcelona players, including Lionel Messi (left), Andres Iniesta (centre) and Alexis Sanchez look dejected at Saturday's 2-1 loss to El Clasico rivals Real Madrid

Barca

Two defeats in El Clasico matches against Real Madrid in their last two outings have not helped matters.

Saturday’s 2-1 league defeat by Madrid came just four days after the 3-1 loss, Jose Mourinho’s side putting them out of the Copa del Rey semi-final.

The game saw Barca fall to their fourth El Clasico without a win - the first time that has occurred since Frank Rijkaard was in charge.

Topics under discussion at the meeting will include manager Tito Vilanova, who has been away from the Nou Camp sidelines receiving cancer treatment in New York.

Rosell
Tito

Get well soon: Rosell (left) will be bringing the Barcelona board news of manager Tito Vilanova's (right) health

Rosell has just returned from visiting Pep Guardiola’s former assistant in the American city, and is expected to bring news of Vilanova’s condition to the rest of the board.

Summer signings will also be at the forefront of discussion at the board meeting, with Santos and Brazil’s star forward Neymar expected to be among the top targets.

Saturday’s match against the division’s bottom side Deportivo La Coruna should provide respite from the pressure before the crucial second leg against Milan a week on Tuesday.

Target: Santos star Neymar, in action yesterday, is top of the club's most-wanted list for the summer

Target: Santos star Neymar, in action yesterday, is top of the club's most-wanted list for the summer

http://www.dailymail.co.uk