It was Friday night when Xavi Hernández, after learning that a group of players was beginning to feel stomach discomfort, began to consider aligning internationals such as Frenkie de Jong in the starting eleven against Juventus. He did not consider it at least at the beginning since they had just joined the team dynamics with two training sessions behind them, both completed in the United States. There was a risk of injury.
In the morning the situation worsened. The outbreak ended up reaching 15 players on the squad. After assessing the situation, Barcelona decided not to travel to Santa Clara, the town where the first preseason match against the Italian club was to be played. 24 hours later, the affected players woke up much better and without new infections in the Barcelona ranks. Everything indicates that the majority will train at the LA Memorial Coliseum in a double session, although at a calmer pace.
The news caught the board of directors led by President Joan Laporta by surprise. A total of 20 members of the Barcelona expedition were already inside the plane. They immediately returned to downtown to find an alternative. Laporta even negotiated to play the match on Monday but there was no availability at Levi'S Stadium.
The attempt to overcome the situation is not trivial. The economic situation of the Blaugrana club is not exactly going through its best moment. The insurance covers part of the expected income, but not the ticketing. The American tour implied an income of 12 million euros, with the classic against Real Madrid on July 29 in Dallas being the match that will bring the greatest number of benefits. The club calculates that not playing the game against Juventus entails losing 2 million euros. While looking for solutions, the board returned to the hotel, so that its members could not attend the event with the Catalan Tourism Agency, to which representatives of the United States technology sector were also invited. Club sources say that calling off this act has had no economic consequences for the entity. “They have understood it,” they point out.
The origin of the outbreak is unknown. It is known that the virus has been transmitted through the air and not by eating spoiled products. It is also known that when the team was in Barcelona, one day before the flight, Gavi was absent due to stomach problems. Back in the US, neither Koundé nor Balde trained with their teammates, although they did work in the gym that the rest of the players also accessed before and after training. Two days later, both are one hundred percent recovered and Alejandro Balde is expected to speak to the media today to assess the situation.
This rapid improvement is explained in the symptoms. Within the general malaise with vomiting and decomposition there was a positive note. None of the players nor the two affected technical staff assistants had a fever, so controlling the situation with isolation in their rooms, a soft diet and various hydration guidelines has served to control the matter. In addition, Dr. Ricard Pruna distributed masks to everyone.
It happens that there is no time to waste. Xavi Hernández was very clear that this start of the preseason should serve above all to get his players in shape physically. So yesterday afternoon the coach summoned those available and led an impromptu training session at the Los Angeles Coliseum. They all worked with the same intensity but in small groups to minimize risks.
Yesterday the coach maintained the initial plan giving the squad a party. The less and less sick remained in their rooms following the treatment of Dr. Pruna. Others went sightseeing for the first time since arriving in Los Angeles. The most immediate goal is to get to the game against Arsenal, scheduled for next Wednesday.
