MADRID (Spain): Barcelona returned to training on Friday almost after 56 days since the Covid-19 pandemic forced a lockdown in Spain.
The La Liga champions allowed their stars to enter their facility to prepare for a potential restart to football in the country.
Lionel Messi and company took the fields at Joan Gamper training centre for individual sessions, for which the players arrived alone in kit and took to the three pitches without passing through the changing rooms.
As well as doing their routines, they were also subjected to tests to see what effect two months of coronavirus quarantine has had on their bodies.
“Finally we are getting back to normal. We hope to carry on and that soon we can get back to enjoying what we like to do most,” Arturo Vidal told sports daily Marca.
Sevilla, Villarreal, Osasuna and Leganes also returned to training, while Real Madrid — who were two points behind league leaders Barca when play stopped in mid-March — will likely start again on Monday should their players pass virus tests carried out on Wednesday.
“This crisis has had a profound impact on all of us. The return of football is a sign that society is progressing towards the new normal. It will also bring back an element of life that people in Spain and around the world know and love,” said La Liga president Javier Tebas recently.
According to La Liga figures professional football accounts for 1.37% of the country’s GDP and creates 185,000 jobs.
“People’s health is paramount, so we have a comprehensive protocol to safeguard the health of everyone involved as we work to restart. Circumstances are unprecedented, but we hope to start playing again in June and finish our 19/20 season this summer,” added Tebas.
