Adriano to join squad in Miami on Monday

Adriano will join the squad in Miami this Monday after finishing his holiday following his appearance for Brazil at the Cop America.

Pep Guardiola will have the first of his South American players who have been playing in the Copa America back on Monday when Adriano meets up with the rest of the squad in Miami.

Adriano didn’t figure in a single game during the tournament, which means he is the first of the South Americans to return to the squad.

Cover at right back

Guardiola has had to improvise at right back so far this pre-season, with Jonathan Dos Santos amongst others being drafted in. Dani Alves is also on holiday of course and B team player Montoya, who could take his place, is not available.

Kobe Bryant: “It’s great to wear a Barça shirt”

Kobe Bryant is a big fan of the Club and wearing his Barça shirt in an exclusive interview with Barça TV today he declared: “this isn’t the first time I’ve worn it, but it feels great to wear a Barça shirt!”.

In the interview, held at the Kastles Stadium at the Wharf in Washington where Mia Hamm had organised a charity game, the LA Lakers star appeared in the Club colours and explained: “it feels great to wear a Barça shirt”.

Big fan

Kobe Bryant is a big fan of the team and he told Barça TV: “I love FC Barcelona, everyone knows that. They’ve been my favourite team for a long time now. I’ve always liked the way they play –Barça play as a group, all together, with creativity and strength and I admire those virtues a lot”.

Bryant took part in the charity game, which was organised by the friends of Mia Hamm, an FC Barcelona Ambassador in the States, together with Pep Guardiola and Andoni Zubizarreta and he reckoned: “I’ve never played football in front of so many people. I’ll just go out on the pitch and do what I always do –I’ll just do what Mia Hamm tells me to do!”.

Jeffren given permission to go to Portugal

Jeffren Suárez will leave Barça’s US Tour today to travel to Barcelona where he will negotiate his transfer to Sporting CP.


During his press conference in Miami, Pep Guardiola confirmed that the young forward had been given leave to leave the Tour and travel to Lisbon to negotiate with Sporting CP.

Barça train in Miami

Barça trained at the Cobb Stadium at the University of Miami this morning –their first session in the second stage of their US Tour – as they prepare for Thursday’s game against Chivas de Guadalajara.






The pre-season training continues for Guardiola’s players, who this morning worked out at the Cobb Stadium, University of Miami, a University famous for its American Football teams.

The session was held in hot and humid conditions and the players were happy for the slight drizzle which fell at one point, as they worked out in front of plenty of fans who’d come to see their heroes close up.

Seven players and Puyol train apart

Seven of the players who figured in the defeat to Manchester United, and who have also been putting in most minutes in the pre-season –Iniesta, Villa, Fontàs, Thiago, Keita, Sergio Busquets and Pedro– all worked apart from the rest of the group, as did Carles Puyol once more as he worked on his recovery from his knee operation.

Afellay stays at the hotel

Afellay, who picked up a thigh injury against United and is set to miss the next four or five weeks, stayed at the team hotel to work on his recovery.

Deulofeu and Sergi Gómez join up on Tuesday

From Tuesday, the squad will be strengthened by the presence of Gerard Deulofeu and Sergi Gómez, who will fly in from Rumania where they are involved in the European under-19 final this Monday.