08.07.2010 15:02

Staying at home this years

Núria Barnils

FC Barcelona will kick off preparations for the new campaign on July 19 by training at the club’s Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper instead of going abroad for a week like in previous years.

Coach Pep Guardiola has chosen to stay at home as the first-team stars will be returning from World Cup duty at different stages meaning that a foreign trip would not be viable.

Cooler climes

Since the 1970’s the Blaugrana have spent the first few days of pre-season in cooler climes with Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Scotland and England all being visited as soon as the players are back in action. Since 1988 only Frank Rijkaard has broken the run when he chose to prepare in Peralada, Girona ahead of the 2004-05 season.

Dutch start

Rinus Michels was the first Barça coach to choose to take the team abroad to begin their summer training when he chose Papendal in his native Holland in 1973.

Since then Terry Venables, Udo Lattek and Johan Cruyff, among others, have travelled away from Catalunya to escape the July heat.

Young hopefuls

Staying at home will allow Guardiola to work with a number of the club’s homegrown youngsters before the World Cup stars return.