Barca back in training
SHOWS: BARCELONA, SPAIN (MAY 8, 2020) (BARCA TV POOL - ACCESS ALL)
1. BARCA FORWARD LIONEL MESSI SEATED ON A FOOTBALL AND LACING HIS BOOTS
2. STRIKER LUIS SUAREZ RUNNING
3. FULL BACK JORDI ALBA AT SESSION
4. GOALKEEPER MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN TRAINING
5. ALBA TRAINING
6. MESSI JUGGLING THE BALL
7. TER STEGEN TRAINING
8. SUAREZ TRAINING
9. ALBA JUGGLING THE BALL
10. BARCA COACH QUIQUE SETIEN WEARING FACE MASK AT TRAINING SESSION
11. MIDFIELDER ARTURO VIDAL TRAINING
12. DEFENDER CLEMENT LENGLET AT SESSION
13. FORWARD ANTOINE GRIEZMANN TRAINING
14. DEFENDER JUNIOR FIRPO JUGGLING THE BALL
15. GRIEZMANN TRAINING
16. LENGLET RUNNING
17. DEFENDER GERARD PIQUE TRAINING
18. DEFENDER SAMUEL UMTITI RUNNING
19. GRIEZMANN TRAINING
20. PIQUE TRAINING
21. MIDFIELDER SERGIO BUSQUETS TRAINING
22. MIDFIELDER FRENKIE DE JONG TRAINING
STORY: The Barcelona first team squad returned to training on Friday (May 8) for the first time since La Liga was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Acting under La Liga's protocols, the players, including Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and Antoine Griezmann, all trained separately and at different times spread across the three pitches at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training ground.
No matches have been played in La Liga since March 10, with no date yet confirmed for the restart although La Liga have said they would like to begin again in June. Germany's Bundesliga is set to be the first major European league to restart, with matches beginning on May 16.
FIFA announced on Friday that teams will be allowed up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, as a temporary measure to help cope with potential fixture congestion.
The change in the rules will be allowed in all competitions which are due to finish by the end of this year and it will be up to individual competition organisers whether to implement it.
FIFA also said that competitions currently using the video replay system (VAR) would be free to discontinue its use on restarting.
(Production: Silvio Castellanos, Mike Brock)
