Flick expresses frustration to Laporta over disrupted start to Barcelona’s pre-season tour
FC Barcelona held their first training session in Asia at the Noevir Stadium in Kobe today, featuring all three new additions to the squad this season: goalkeeper Joan Garcia and forwards Marcus Rashford and Roony Bardghji.
Hansi Flick’s team is preparing for Sunday’s friendly against Vissel Kobe, a side currently in-season and leading Japan’s J1 League.
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Prior to the start of the training session, SPORT reports that Barcelona manager Hansi Flick had a brief conversation with club president Joan Laporta.
During the interaction, the Barcelona manager appeared serious and visibly concerned, possibly due to the chaotic start to the club’s Asian tour.
Just three days ago, the club had publicly announced it would not travel to Japan due to the organisers’ breach of contract regarding the friendly. Rakuten was forced to intervene to resolve the situation.
Although the issue was eventually settled, it required Barcelona to delay their trip, which disrupted Flick’s preparations. The manager, known for his meticulous planning, was clearly inconvenienced by the late change.
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The squad arrived just in time to train following an exhausting journey, and within 24 hours, they are expected to play their first pre-season match.
The training session began at 11:00 Spanish time (18:00 in Kobe) and included the presence of club president Laporta, accompanied by vice-president Rafa Yuste, as well as Enric Masip and Alejandro Echevarria.
Laporta provided explanations to Flick, who has travelled with a 30-man squad to Japan and South Korea, including the three new signings and several youth players.
