FCBARCELONA.CAT

19.10.2008 12:00

Fans turn out in numbers for training

www.fcbarcelona.cat

More than 500 fans turned out to match Barca’s training session in Bilbao ahead of tonight’s game in San Mames. The Basque team trained at the club’s facilities in Lezama, whilst Guardiola put his players through their paces at the nearby CD Sondika.

The Sunday morning session has become a regular part of Guardiola’s preparations and although the original plan was to hold it behind closed doors today, the presence of so many fans keen to see the Barca players in action led to the decision to open the workout to the public. Such was the expectation in Bilbao that the fans were already milling round the training ground at 9.30 this morning, even though the players themselves didn’t leave
the team hotel until 11.00.

Passion for Barca

The more than 500 fans, many wearing their Barca shirts, showed their passion for the club and cheered on the players as they enjoyed a gentle half-hour training session dominated by stretching and ball control exercises. Bojan, Iniesta and Messi were the players most appreciated by the fans, but all the squad returned the warmth of the supporters at the end of the session with a round of applause for all the Barca fans who’d turned out to see their heroes.

Grass pitch

The CD Sondika ground – known as Basozabal – has a 1400 capacity and boasts a grass pitch for the first team training and matches in the División de Honor de Vizcaya with an artificial surface for the reserve team next to the ground.