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Football
23.07.2007 21:45
First time out in St. Andrews
Sergi Nogueras / Vanessa Forns
The FC Barcelona first team have enjoyed their first training session in Scotland as they continue preparations for the matches against Dundee United and Hearts later this week.
After a smooth journey to Edinburgh, the squad travelled to their base in St. Andrews, where they ate and then rested before heading out to train at 7pm. The players were taken to the pitch in a fleet of Audi cars and they appeared in very good spirits once the action began. A short warm-up routine on the St. Andrews University field made a refreshing change as the cool climate in Scotland was in stark contrast to the sultry conditions the squad left behind in Barcelona.
Physical circuit
The usual ball exercises followed before a circuit to build physical strength was organised by Paco Seirul.lo and Albert Roca and the players paired up to carry out the exercise. All this was watched over Frank Rijkaard, Eusebio Sacristán and Johan Neeskens.
Keeping possession
Next came a familiar sight as the players played a
small-sided game with the emphasis on keeping possession in reduced space. With one set of four
against four and the other of five against five, the squad looked lively and were clearly having
fun in their new surroundings. The three goalkeepers on the trip, Víctor Valdés, Albert Jorquera
and Oier Olazábal trained seperately with Juan Carlus Unzúe. The session, which lasted around 90
minutes, ended with some warm down exercises.
Great expectations
The arrival of FC Barcelona has generated great excitement in Scotland, which was evident during
their first training session in St-Andrews. Groups of spectators gathered made up of students, many
of whom were French and Catalan. The fans did not stop shouting throughout the session and it was
clear who their favourites were as the names of Thuerry Henry, Lilian Thuram, Éric Abidal,
Ronaldinho and Valdés rang out.
