Barcelona Train Without 16 Players

FC Barcelona have lugged into yet another crisis as no fewer than 16 first team players missed training on Monday. And what’s more, even coach Frank Rijkaard decided not to show up at La Masia a day after his side were dramatically beaten 3-2 by Real Mallorca in La Liga.

This revelation is as much stark as worrying. All throughout the season, a number of key first team players have missed training consistently and football critics have underlined this indiscipline as one of the main causes why the Blaugrana have once again failed to garner any trophy this season too.

Just 8 first team members of Barcelona decided to show up at La Masia inside closed doors. Víctor Valdés, José Manuel Pinto, Éric Abidal, Bojan Krkic, Santi Ezquerro, Oleguer Presas, Giovani Dos Santos and captain Carles Puyol were from the first team while two from Barcelona B-Fali and José Manuel Rueda-decided to join them.

The other 16 first team players were out in different areas. Yaya Touré, Lilian Thuram, Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Edmílson were reportedly training in the gym while Andrés Iniesta and Eidur Gudjohnsen did laps of the pitch in Camp Nou.

Samuel Eto'o, Gianluca Zambrotta and Rafa Márquez were reportedly injured for the training and so couldn’t turn up. Deco, who was booed off the pitch at Camp Nou on Sunday against Mallorca, has been given a off until Wednesday. Zambrotta, Marquez and Deco all are on a list of Barcelona players set to depart from the club in the summer.