FCBARCELONA.CAT

27.08.2009 21:33

Trying out the Louis II pitch

www.fcbarcelona.cat

On Thursday evening, the first team trained for the first and last time on the Stade Louis II pitch before Friday’s European Super Cup final. The players were able to test for themselves that the pitch is not in the best of conditions.

The players exercised in the relative cool of the evening in the same stadium where they will meet Shakhtar Donetsk. Following UEFA instructions the session was open to all and it was plain to see that the grass at the Stade Louis II is in a poor state. Speaking at a press conference earlier in the day, Guardiola had told reporters: “I haven’t seen it but if it’s true I don’t understand it. They’ve been preparing this for a long time and they know this match is always played. I really don’t understand. We need a pitch in good condition”.

Players meet up on the pitch

The Barça training session started slightly earlier than the scheduled time of 8.15 pm and as result the two teams met briefly on the pitch, giving the players a chance to greet the men they will face on Friday evening. In particular, Touré got the chance to say hello to a number of players he knows from his time with Ukrainian side Metalurg Donetsk.

Possession

The session started with a round of applause for Maxwell, who was celebrating his 28th birthday and for Bojan, who is 19 on Friday. After the usual warm-up and passing exercises, the players practised possession while Muniesa, Jonathan, Fontàs and Henrique separated off to do some shooting practice.

A word from Guardiola

The session lasted about an hour, at the end of which Josep Guardiola spoke to the group for five minutes in the centre of the pitch. Some of the players then returned to the changing rooms while some remained to do some more shooting practice.