FCBARCELONA.CAT

16.04.2008 13:50

Intense session at El Montanyà

Jordi Clos

The FC Barcelona first team squad saw their training venue moved on Wednesday as they travelled to El Montayà where they worked and then had lunch together.

Instead of choosing to return to the pitch in front of La Masia, Frank Rijkaard opted to take the players to the facilities in Osona to begin preparations for what will be a very intense few days and the Blaugrana take on Espanyol on Saturday and then face Manchester United in midweek in the semi finals of the Champions League.

Starting at 12.30, almost every player was present apart from Gianluca Zambrotta, Xavi, Carles Puyol, Deco and Andrés Iniesta, who all had to meet the club's medical services to be given vaccinations ahead of this summer's European Championships in Austria and Switzerland. While the first four of that group joined in later, Iniesta stayed at Camp Nou and trained with Thierry Henry, as the pair attempt to shake off minor knocks. The duo did travel to El Montayá to have lunch with all their team-mates, apart from Ronaldinho who was working in the gymnasium.

Three sections

There was a large number of fans watching the training, that consisted of three parts. The habitual warm-up routines were first and they were followed by a series of physical circuits. Then, finally, the squad played an extensive game that was very intense and had Rijkaard stopping playing to point out where he wanted things changed.

In the game, Zambrotta, Edmílson, Milito, Abidal, Gudjohnsen, Deco, Giovani and Krkic were on one team in orange and Pinto, Puyol, Thuram, Touré, Sylvinho, Xavi, Messi, Ezquerro and Eto'o were on the other without bibs.