Arriving in Barcelona with the weather a balmy 25°c and sunny, we were entertained with a guided tour of the city. The old Olympic stadium (summer of 1992) was a highlight as were the exhilarating views over Barcelona. La Sagrada Familia unfinished church by Gaudi was also really impressive. We then transferred to our hotel in Calella. The Kaktus Playa was a spacious hotel on the beach and the boys couldn’t wait to get in the water and play some beach football. Tuesday morning gave us the opportunity to explore the town of Calella and its Costa Brava charm.
I think the real positive of the tour was the two training sessions at RCD Espanyol. The club are in the same league as Barcelona and pride themselves on their academy and bringing on home-grown players. The boys really trained hard and definitely developed their game.
Time for lunch and to celebrate Zack’s birthday. We found a NBA-themed restaurant in the city and the group enjoyed some interactive games as well as a filling meal. The boys were always on the look out for Barcelona merchandise and we stopped at numerous outlets to grab a bargain.
Our first match hosts were UE SANT FOST and, after some pre-match negotiations, we were able to play four equal matches with both A and B teams. The A team had a narrow defeat and then should have won the second game but had to settle for a draw. The B team, although working hard, were well beaten in both matches.
Returning to the hotel we enjoyed another excellent evening meal. Both breakfasts and dinner were perfect for the boys with plenty of options.
Wednesday was theme park day and after a long drive we had the impressive Port Aventura Park almost to ourselves. No queuing for the rides was a real novelty. All the squad had a great time. As we made our way towards the Camp Nou for the Champions league match against Olympiakos, the heavens opened and torrential rain accompanied us all the way. We did think there was a possibility of the game being called off, however we took our seats that were thankfully under cover and enjoyed a masterclass by the hosts winning 3-1. Even the great Lionel Messi decided to score his 100th European goal with a supreme free kick. What a memory.
After our 2nd exceptional training session, we returned to the Camp Nou for our stadium experience. Seeing the Champions league trophies up close and running out onto the playing surface were special moments.
Back came the rains and, as we made our way to CD ALMEDA for our second match, hopes were not high of completing the fixture. In fact the artificial surface was completely waterlogged. The boys were incredibility disappointed so we hurriedly organised a pitch in the centre of Barcelona for the following morning and after another great evening in the hotel celebrating Sam’s birthday, teams were chosen, and all enjoyed a very competitive final match.
It was a really interesting time to visit Barcelona and I am sure the boys will have gained much from the touring experience.
