29.07.2007 13:01
Good times in St. Andrews
David Puig
Barça have concluded their six-day stay at St. Andrews in Scotland and returned to Catalunya. The squad enjoyed an intense week of training in order to regain full fitness and they also recorded two wins from the pair of games that they played.
The players and the coaching staff have all stated how happy they were with the mini tour and
praised the magnificent facilities at the Old Course Hotel, situated in St. Andrews, the home of
British golf. The climate was also perfect for training after the summer heat of Barcelona and the
coaches were able to push the players through all the rigorous exercises required at this stage of
pre-season.
Physical work
While physical work has been the key element in
the double training sessions, the ball was always involved. As well as working on strength and
endurance, the range of different circuits and routines have always been made more bearable for the
players by including a ball at their feet.
The club's medical team also carried out extensive tests on the squad as each player
underwent substantial analysis, such as having lactic acid taken from their ears to measure fatigue
levels. They also constantly monitored the heart rates of the players through measuring devices
that were present in training.
Injury list
Jesús Olmo and Marc Valiente were unable to work
at the same level as their team-mates due to injury. Olmo suffered a sprain during training on
Tuesday, while Valiente had a hamstring problem.
Eidur Gudjohnsen, Carles Puyol and Edmílson did not travel to Scotland as they continued
their recuperation programmes. The Icelandic international stayed in Barcelona with a knee injury,
while Puyol and Edmílson both underwent surgery at the end of last season and have yet to be given
the green light to return to action.
Two good games
The hard work put in during training was evident
as Barça won both their friendly games in Scotland against
Dundee United
and
Hearts
. In both outings, the Blaugrana came up against sides that were prepared to work hard and
offer them a physical battle. The games also gave coach Frank Rijkaard a chance to test a few
players, including Bojan Krkic and Giovani Dos Santos, and combinations.
The team will return to work on Monday to begin the second stage of pre-season as they
prepare to head to the Far East for games in China, Japan and Hong Kong.