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30.06.2008 18:50
Guardiola’s new team of assistants
Sandra Sarmiento
FC Barcelona’s first team coach already has his team of assistants in place: Tito Vilanova, Juan Carlos Unzué and Lorenzo Buenaventura.
This new team has four major goals for the 2008/09 season. They are to drive excellence and
professionalism in the dressing room; to stress player performance and what impacts on it; provide
more scientific parameterisation to monitor the players’ physical condition and health; and
new training and fitness routines.
Coaching staff
Josep Guardiola will be head coach and will have three assistants: Tito
Vilanova as assistant coach, Juan Carlos Unzué as goalkeeping coach among other duties, and Lorenzo
Buenaventura in charge of physical fitness and performance.
Lorenzo Buenaventura
Born in Seville, the physical fitness coach has come to FC Barcelona after a spell at Cadiz
CF. Buenaventura has also worked at RCD Espanyol, Atlético de Madrid and for Argentina. He will be
in charge of the team’s physical preparation with three aims:
- Tactical physical fitness work to make training more intense
- Planning individual and group physical training, scientific measurement and continuous
assessment of levels of strength, stamina and speed of players.
- Managing all the variables which affect a player’s performance: performance on the
field, individual physical preparation, diets, rest, avoiding injury, and sports physiology and
psychology.
Fitness coaches
The first team will have three fitness coaches working under Lorenzo Buenaventura: Paco
Seirul•lo as lead fitness coach; Aureli Altimira, who last season was with Josep Guardiola at
Barça B, will be in charge of field work; and Francesc Cos will be in charge of strength work.
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The doctors
Ricard Pruna and Daniel Medina will look after the footballers’ health. Medina was with Barça
B and the indoor football team last season. New this season is the setting up of the physiology
applied to top level sport department, led by physiologist Esteban Gorostiaga’s team. With
extensive experience in professional football (Liverpool, Valencia, Osasuna, etc.), Gorostiaga is
also a member of the Spanish Olympic Committee’s Medical Commission.
All the doctors, physiotherapists and chiropodists in the medical section will work closely with the physical fitness department to maximise physical performance and reduce injury rates.
All the doctors, physiotherapists and chiropodists in the medical section will work closely with the physical fitness department to maximise physical performance and reduce injury rates.
