FCBARCELONA.CAT

22.07.2008 23:57

Maximum intensity

Marc Guillén/Roger Bogunyà

At 10.00 local time, Barça’s Tuesday morning training session in Scotland got under way, but the players were already out exercising before that.

Pep Guardiola wanted the players to get some fitness training in even before the session was scheduled to start. There was no transport laid on from the hotel to the practice ground – the players were ordered to run there!

30 non-stop minutes

Once at the training ground, Guardiola divided the players into three groups, who did circuits without the ball, working on fitness and changes of direction.

There was no time for rest between exercises, the players went straight on to the next item. That meant that for 30 minutes, Guardiola made sure his players never stopped moving.

With the ball

The players were then divided into two groups, and for 20 minutes tried to keep possession of the ball. The idea was to get the ball off the opposing side.

The last ten minutes involved medicinal balls, with which the players did sit-ups and similar exercises in a more unusual way to what they are used to.