Author: Barkha Roy
Barcelona Football Club have been forced to cancel their scheduled pre-season friendly against Juventus in the United States due to a widespread outbreak of illness in the dressing room. The La Liga champions were looking forward to starting their US tour against Juventus at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California; however, they had no choice but to cancel the match.
In an official statement, Barcelona communicated the unfortunate situation to its fans, saying: “FC Barcelona announces the cancellation of the match against Juventus FC, which was scheduled for July 22, at 7:30 p.m., at Levi’s Stadium, as part of the Soccer Champions Tour. This decision comes as a significant part of the Blaugrana team has been affected by viral gastroenteritis.”
The outbreak of viral gastroenteritis has affected around ten members of the Barcelona team, leading the club to prioritize the health and well-being of its players and make the difficult decision to cancel the match against Juventus. With that friendly off the schedule, all eyes will now be on Barcelona’s next planned friendly against Premier League side Arsenal on July 27.
Under the leadership of their new coach, Xavi, Barcelona had scheduled other high-profile matches, including games against Real Madrid and AC Milan. However, they may now need to reconsider their plans for the game against Juventus, as it was an integral part of the Soccer Champions Tour, a pre-season tournament featuring some of Europe’s top clubs.
The long-awaited Joan Gamper Trophy match is also on the horizon, with Tottenham Hotspur taking on Barcelona in this prestigious fixture. The match will take place at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, which will be Barcelona’s home this season while the iconic Camp Nou undergoes renovations.
This unforeseen setback left fans, players and club officials disappointed. The focus has now shifted to controlling the disease and ensuring a speedy recovery for the affected players before they can resume pre-season preparations.