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Barça will play in Udine on Saturday: Nottingham at 9pm, Udinese at 10pm
FC Barcelona returned to the Ciutat Esportiva after their English training camp with a double-session day. The main novelty was the return of Gavi, a world champion with Spain, who began with individual work before the Udine appointment.
Gavi returns to a Barça already back up and running
FC Barcelona resumed work at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper after two days of rest and the end of their pre-season camp at St. George's Park. This return was not just a simple restart, as the club organized a double-session day, with training in the morning and further work in the afternoon. The most visible feature of this return home was the presence of Gavi, back at the Blaugrana training center after his holidays.
The midfielder developed at La Masia did not immediately join the same rhythm as the rest of the group. The club specified that he completed an individual session on Thursday morning to begin getting back into shape. That detail set the tone for the day: Barça are recovering a major player in their daily environment, but are bringing him gradually into the summer preparation.
A world champion back home
Gavi was presented by the club as Thursday's main novelty. Crowned world champion with the Spanish national team on July 19 in the United States, he ended his holidays to lace up his boots again. His return therefore fits into a short timeline: an international title in July, a period of rest, then a first individual contact with the Ciutat Esportiva in this Barcelona pre-season.
The club also noted a visual detail from this return: Gavi appeared with a new pink hairstyle. The element remains secondary from a sporting point of view, but it underlines the attention paid to his return to the group. For supporters following the restart through the official channels, it is above all a sign that the Spanish midfielder is once again present in Barça's daily routine, even if his work remains individualized at this stage.
La Masia and Barça Atlètic broaden the session
The morning was not limited to the available first-team regulars. All available squad members trained, accompanied by 17 footballers from Barça Atlètic and the U9s. This broader presence gave the session a club-wide dimension, with youngsters integrated into pre-season work as the team returned from England.
The list released by FC Barcelona gives a concrete idea of that opening: Tommy Marqués, Gistau, Shane Kluivert, Alex González, Xavi Espart, Toni Fernández, Jofre Torrents, Hamza Abdelkarim, Álvaro Cortés, Orian, Ebrima, Guille Fernández, Brian Fariñas, Jordi Pesquer, Áron Yaakobishvili, Iker Rodríguez and Diarra took part in the morning training session. This bridge between the first team and the youngsters also recalls the central role of development in the club's identity, a dimension visitors often associate with the FC Barcelona Museum when they discover Blaugrana history.
Jesse Bisiwu discovers the Ciutat Esportiva
Another name was highlighted by the club: Jesse Bisiwu. The new Barcelona signing had already worked in Barça colors in England, but he trained for the first time at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. His case adds another marker to this restart, because the return to the training center also allows newcomers to find their bearings in the club's everyday environment.
On a day dominated by Gavi's return, Bisiwu's first session at the Ciutat Esportiva is not anecdotal. It shows that Barça's preparation is moving forward on several fronts: the gradual recovery of an international returning from holiday, continuity in the collective work after the English camp and the concrete integration of recruits into the first team's usual setting.
A double session focused on Udine
After the morning training session, activity continued in the afternoon. The club directly links this working day to the triangular tournament scheduled for Saturday in Udine, Italy. The double session therefore comes at a precise moment in the preparation: Barça return from their camp, recover players, then increase the workload before a friendly appointment scheduled outside Spain.
The club homepage also places this appointment in the immediate calendar. Barça are due to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday, August 8 at 9pm CEST at the Bluenergy Stadium, then Udinese the same evening at 10pm CEST, also at the Bluenergy Stadium. These two fixtures correspond to the pre-season sequence now in sight after the return to the Ciutat Esportiva.
A fixture broadcast through the club's channels
FC Barcelona also highlighted access to the Udine matches on its official platforms. The homepage announces that the Udine triangular tournament will be broadcast live on Barça Play and YouTube, with one important detail: the Blaugrana matches will be offered on the club's subscription channels on Saturday evening. The information gives a practical frame to this sporting restart, even if the detailed access conditions are not specified in the available elements.
This emphasis comes as the club also promotes its pre-season content. The same page mentions the upcoming matches, the possibility of watching the pre-season fixtures and the schedule for the next match. For supporters, the thread is therefore clear: restart in Barcelona on Thursday, final preparation before Udine, then two matches announced for Saturday evening in a friendly setting.
Final step before the next stage of preparation
The work does not stop with this return day. The club indicates that training will resume on Friday at 9:30am at the Ciutat Esportiva. This session fits between Thursday's double workload and Saturday's triangular tournament, placing the staff and the group in a short sequence: return to the center, collective and individual work, then travel to the Italian appointment.
FC Barcelona's homepage also notes a more recently published update around the final session before the Udine triangular tournament. Without adding details about the content of the session, this mention confirms that the club continued to make this appointment the next focal point for the first team. In this context, Gavi's return remains the strongest signal of the restart, but it fits into a broader preparation already turned toward two matches at the Bluenergy Stadium.
Sources: fcbarcelona.fr · fcbarcelona.fr