Gregorio Manzano has this afternoon provided the squad list for tomorrow’s match against Malaga CF in the Sanchez Pizjuan. It is the same as it was against Real Madrid in the Cup, with the exception of Acosta and Escudé.

Most notable is that the two winter signings, Medel and Rakitic are on the list, for what could be their first minutes in La Liga with the shirt of Sevilla FC.

The match is on at 17:00 Sunday 6/2.

To the right is a first look of Ivan with his new team’s shirt.

• Ivan’s profile on Sevilla FC

Via sevillafc.es

Ivan Rakitic has left FC Schalke 04 to join Spanish Europa League contestants FC Sevilla. The Croatian international’s contract with the Royal Blues was set to expire at the end of the current season.

Rakitic joined Schalke in summer 2007 from FC Basel and went on to score 16 goals in 131 appearances for die Knappen. His greatest success in blue and white was a runners-up finish in the Bundesliga last term.

Via Bundesliga.de and Schalke04.de.

More articles regarding his transfer:

• “Sevilla is a great opportunity for my career”
• Rakitic seals Sevilla move

Schalke04.de has an interview up with Ivan, you can read a few translated bits of it below:

Rakitic: No time for second passion

Ivan Rakitic, currently you are and your team mates are in the most intensive training phase of the year. However, you radiate and seem full of beans. Deceptive?
I just feel very good. The training is currently very hard and intense, but it must be as well. Physically I am very well, so I can cope with the units with the highest speed and force. It’s a nice feeling when you know you can survive each exercise and every run. This knowledge gives me security in my head.

You only had tree and a half weeks vacation after extending your season due to the World Cup qualifications. Did you have your feet elevated during that time?
Not really. At first I was a few days with my family in Switzerland, then I spent a little time in Croatia by the sea. There, I’ve kept fit and prepared for the training.

What did you personal preparation look like?
I ran a lot of times and have often played tennis. That is my passion besides football.

Have you found a tennis court on Borkum, where you can pitch between the training sessions?
No, here I renounce my hobby (laughs). After two or three days of intensive training sessions, I would probably crash for eleven hours like John Isner. In the free hours during the day I lie down.

With Croatia you missed the World Cup in South Africa. What feeling is it now to see the tournament on TV?
I have so far only looked at German games. When I think of it, that we are not there with our strong team, it really hurts. I think that we had a good role to play. One sees actually, that with a good performance and a little luck can advance far in the tournament.

Your contract expires next summer. Do you already have plans for the time after July 2011?
Most of all I want to stay in Schalke. I have already told the coach that before my vacation. I like it very well in a club, we are a young and ambitious team and want to achieve together with the fans a long awaited goal. So why should I want to get away? But we are currently in preparation – and there are more important things than my contract.

Friday morning started with a gym and fitness program down at a nearby beach.

Schalke04.de has published a gallery with photos from the camp.

The agent of Schalke midfielder Ivan Rakitic has played down talk of a move to Palermo. The Croatia international is interesting Rosanero president Maurizio Zamparini.

Speaking to mediterraneonline.it, Michel Urscheler said: “Rakitic is a player who interests many clubs because he plays for the national team and he is young.

I have heard people speak about Palermo, but we have not had any contact with them. I don’t know if their squad is looking for a player with his characteristics. Rakitic has been linked with the Rosanero in the German Press. I believe that this is speculation at the moment and there has been a lot of it.

They spoke about Juventus before they signed Diego, and about Inter and Barcelona. There has been a lot of speculation but nothing concrete.

At the moment Rakitic is only concentrating on Schalke. There isn’t anything else to say. If Palermo call and say something interesting then we can even speak, but at the moment it’s only speculation.”

Via tribalfootball.com.

Magath: “Can’t say Bayern are in crisis”

“The current league table is no reason for us to get cocky”, stressed head coach Felix Magath ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bayern Munich (kick-off: 1530 CET). “We’ve had to work hard and scrap for our points, and on Saturday we’ll have to be prepared to run and battle all day.

“After conceding five goals in our last two games we need to show a bit more stability in defence as well”, he continued. In Magath’s view this applies not just to the nominal defenders, but also to the midfield. He said: “If the midfield scrap for every ball and stay tight in Munich, we ought to be stable at the back.”

It is this ability to pressurise the ball that the Schalke boss feels is a key factor in his side’s successful away record. “We have a tradition of defending well, but we still have problems taking the game forward”, he said, explaining why Schalke have garnered more points away than they have at home. “Away from home you have to react more to what the other team do rather than be pro-active yourself, and we’re finding that easier to do at this stage.”

Bayern’s form is up and down at the moment, but for Magath that is no reason to underestimate them. “It’s normal for teams to have these problems when they get a new coaching team and are asked to play in a different way”, he said, “but Bayern are still hot favourites for the title as far as I’m concerned. Though they won’t be happy with the results in the Champions League and in the Bundesliga, you can hardly say a team who are just four points off the lead are going through a crisis.”

The only thing that interests Magath is the football workload. “Bayern had to do 90 minutes in the Champions League during the week and that will have tired them”, he explained. “We, on the other hand, have been able to rest, which gives us a chance now to come away from Munich with something.” And because Bayern are always favourites regardless of the situation they find themselves in, Magath always welcomes the opportunity to go to Munich. “You can travel down totally relaxed and try to make the best of it”, he said.

Ivan is unfortunately not playing the match from start.

The match is on today, Saturday, at 15:30 CET.

( Source )

Ivan was happy with morale of the team during the match on Saturday saying, “the fact that we could come back after 0-2, shows that the team is in tact.”

Ivan and Asa also sang “Blau und Weiß, wie lieb ich dich” together with the fans.

Text and photos via Schalke04.de