FCBARCELONA.CAT

14.07.2008 19:22

First day back

Sandra Sarmiento

On their first day back at work, the players’ excellent state of health has been borne out by extensive medical checks.

The 2008-09 season started early as the players arrived at 9 am to take their medicals and also to meet up with colleagues and new signings.

Numerous tests

Ricard Pruna, Daniel Medina and the team of physiologist Esteban Gorostiaga have carried out numerous tests on the players to check their physical condition. The players were divided into pairs and went through the club’s Medical Services between 9 am and 2 pm, with Valdés and Pinto being first and Piqué and Martín Cáceres last in the morning session. The players sat in the waiting room reading the papers among the usual patients. The seven Barça Atlètic players, Bojan and Marc Crosas did their tests in the afternoon.

Football addicts

Some of them haven’t played football in eight weeks, others for a month. The last to arrive will be the Spanish internationals. Bojan had a well-deserved break after two years of hard work, but needed to have the ball at his feet and played keep-ball with Marc Crosas, Víctor Vázquez and other players in a room next to the surgery.

In shape

The tests have confirmed that the players have been doing what they should over the last few weeks. In the strength and stamina tests some demonstrated the excellent physical condition they are in while in the afternoon session David Córcoles got a round of applause from his Barça Atlètic team-mates.

First day as a Barça player

The new signings were especially enthusiastic on their first day and were eager to find out how the club operates and to meet the people who work there. Martín Cáceres had more questions than Gerard Piqué as the latter is a product of the Barça academy, and he was helped by Albert Jorquera.