FC BARCELONA

The Japanese club, led by FIFA Ballon d’Or 2011 winner Homare Sawa, and the FC Barcelona ladies team were both at today’s first team training session. Xavi Hernàndez presented an FC Barcelona shirt to a thrilled Homare Sawa.

The INAC Kobe Leonessa ladies are about to leave Barcelona. The Japanese league champions have seven World Cup winners in their squad, including the great Homare Sawa, and one of the last items on their itinerary was a visit to an FC Barcelona training session this morning at Sant Joan Despí.

The FC Barcelona ladies team, who they played last Thursday in the Miniestadi, were also there with them, and the two groups of women welcomed the Barça players onto pitch number 2 with an improvised guard of honour.

There were plenty of cameras flashing and autographs being signed, and 2011 Ballon d'Or winner Homare Sawa got the chance to meet her favourite player, Xavi Hernàndez, who she had described earlier this week as "a player I like a lot, he has great control of the ball and a brilliant final pass. He is very important for his team even though he is neither a big nor strong player. He's marvellous". Sawa gave a chocolate Ballon d'Or to the Catalan star, who returned the gesture by presenting her with a specially dedicated Barça shirt. It was a wonderful surprise for the best female player in the world, and one she will surely never forget.

The INAC Kobe Leonessa and FC Barcelona players then posed for a group picture with Guardiola's squad before watching the best team on the planet train. (via FCBarcelona.cat)

The best footballer in the world, Homare Sawa of Japan, whom the world compares with Leo Messi, Barca fans pleaded and, especially, midfielder Xavi Hernandez pointed to as a reference.

Sawa coincided so much with Leo Messi as with Xavi in the Ballon d'Or gala in Zúrich, where she and the Argentinean were distinguished with the trophy that credits them like best footballers of the planet in 2011.

The Nippon is on tour in Barcelona with her team, the INAC Kobe Leonessa, and tomorrow will face Barcelona in a friendly female whose profits will go to earthquake victims in Japan.

"Xavi is a player I like a lot, because he has arrived, much control of the ball and the last pass. He is very important for his team, and is not a physically large and powerful player. It's wonderful," answered when Sawa asked about her favorite player.

Japan has become a celebrity in her country since he led her team to World Champion, being best player and top scorer of the World, and for these reasons are continuous comparisons with Leo Messi.

Sawa, however, refuses to be measured with the talented Argentine player, despite its recent rise in popularity and carry 80 goals for her country.

I am not by no means to their height. It is true that I was in the ceremony of the Ballon d'Or with him, but I am not able to be at their level, by no means", has declared in a press conference before the tomorrow's game.

The midfielder herself has abounded in her admiration for the game Barca team that recently saw live in Japan, when Josep Guardiola took the Club World Cup against the Santos.

"It is difficult to define in words the Barca game. Of course I see the games on TV and I saw him live at the World Cup. Her game is joy, make people happy. For me it is difficult to describe football , how good it is, "he stated.

Her coach, Japan's Kei Hoshikawa, has gone further and said "love" the game of Barça. So when in doubt about who the best coach in the world, with the duality Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola, has not hesitated to Nippon respond.

"The two are both very good coaches, but in football, besides winning, I like to play well. So I think that Guardiola is the best coach," he said.

Sawa can not cope or Xavi or Messi on the pitch, but will have the chance to make huge flashes of quality Mini Stadium against Barca female in a game that has raised great expectations in their country of origin.

Her "Visca el Barça" at the end of the conference has demonstrated the enthusiasm with which the Asian players face this match. (via SPORT)