FCBARCELONA.CAT

29.07.2009 11:54

Los Angeles is first stop on tour

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The 2009 US tour is underway. For 12 days Guardiola’s side will continue to gear up for the new season, this time in Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco where they will play 3 matches against MLS sides.

The US, where football is increasingly popular, is waiting with arms open wide to greet the best team in Europe. Treble-winners Barcelona have already kicked off their US tour which begins this Wednesday and will end on Sunday 9 August. During those twelve days the team will be in Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco, where they will combine training, games and promotional and institutional activities.

From Barcelona to Los Angeles

The first stop on the tour is Los Angeles. The 26 players left Camp Nou at 9.30 am heading for El Prat airport. There they caught Finnair flight AY7034 at 11.05 am for the 11 ½ hour journey to America.

160 people on board

The Barcelona party is made up of 58 first team players and members of the coaching staff, and is headed by chairman Joan Laporta. Also travelling are vice-chairmen Jaume Ferrer, Joan Boix, Rafael Yuste and directors Jacint Borràs, Patrick Auset, Josep-Ignasi Macià, Xavier Bagués, Magda Oranich, Albert Perrín and Xavier Sala i Martín. The team is also accompanied by club CEO Joan Oliver and technical secretary Txiki Begiristain.

The plane is carrying 160 people, the rest being 26 journalists, 8 fans and some player relatives.

First trip for Ibra

Probably the person who’ll best remember this trip to the US will be Zlatan Ibrahimovic. After signing his contract and then being operated on on Tuesday, Barça’s new number 9 will be travelling with the team for the first time. Ibra has his left hand bandaged and a protector hanging from his neck to stop him moving the area operated on.