photo:www.irishmirror.ie
The eagerly anticipated
friendly match between FC Barcelona and Juventus, scheduled to take place on
Saturday evening, has been abruptly suspended, leaving fans and pundits
baffled. The Catalan club made the announcement via Twitter, citing a
significant portion of their squad falling victim to viral gastroenteritis as
the reason for the cancellation.
However, rumors circulating on
social media tell a different tale. Victor Malo, director of El Espanol's
Culemania page, claims that the illness affecting eight Barca players is not
what the club states. According to Malo, the virus may be linked to one of the
players who recently traveled to Africa but failed to acquire all necessary
vaccinations.
Although these reports remain
unconfirmed by the club, speculation has arisen that Alejandro Balde might be
the player in question. Balde visited his father's homeland, Guinea-Bissau, in
late June alongside his brother Edi. SPORT reported that Balde is indeed one of
the players who have fallen ill, along with Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, and new
transfer Oriol Romeu.
The suspension of the match
comes as a disappointment to fans in California and beyond, who had secured
tickets to witness the La Liga champions in action at the San Francisco 49ers'
Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Moreover, football enthusiasts worldwide, eager
to see Barca's new signings on the field for the first time, will have to wait
for another opportunity.
Barcelona's last encounter
with Juventus on July 27, 2002, treated spectators to a thrilling 2-2 draw in
Dallas, with Ousmane Dembele and Moise Kean securing braces for their
respective teams. While there were initial hopes of rescheduling the fixture
for the next couple of days, it has now been confirmed that the match will not
take place at a later date.
The affected players' physical
condition makes it impossible to prepare for a match under the current
circumstances, leading to the ultimate decision to cancel the game. The
virus-stricken squad had originally planned to play four friendlies during an
11-day period, but with the cancellation, they now face a slightly less
demanding schedule.
Barcelona's next game will be
against Premier League giants Arsenal at the Los Angeles Chargers' SoFi
Stadium, followed by an iconic Stateside El Clasico against Real Madrid at the
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. They will then face AC Milan in Las Vegas,
followed by the annual Joan Gamper Trophy match against Tottenham Hotspur at
the Montjuic Stadium before launching their defense of the Spanish title with
an away trip to Getafe on August 13.
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