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Raphinha y Araújo lideran el asalto al Triangular de Udine
Barcelona Heads to Italy for a Special Preseason Tournament
What Is Happening?
FC Barcelona is traveling to Udine, Italy to play in a triangular tournament (a mini-competition with three teams) against Udinese and Nottingham Forest. This is part of their preseason preparation—think of it like practice games before the real season starts.
Important Point: This is the first time in 24 years that Barcelona plays a summer triangular tournament!
How Did We Get Here?
Barcelona’s preseason has been a journey:
- Started at home → Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper (Barcelona’s training ground).
- Traveled to England → St George’s Park (England’s national football center) for a training camp.
- Now heading to Italy → Udine for the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup.
How Does This Tournament Work?
It’s simple and fast:
- Three teams: Barcelona, Udinese, Nottingham Forest.
- Two matches for Barcelona, each lasting only 45 minutes (half a normal game).
- Goal: Get "competitive miles in the legs"—real game intensity to prepare for the official season.
Who Should We Watch?
The Returning Stars
Raphinha and Ronald Araújo are the big names to watch.
- Both trained with the team at the end of the England trip.
- Coach Hansi Flick feels good about their fitness.
- Why it matters: They had injury problems all summer. Araújo even missed the World Cup! Flick needs them to find their rhythm now.
The Potential Debutant
Jesse Bisiwu (a young Belgian winger) just signed for Barça.
- He flew straight to England with the team.
- Trained for the first time in Barcelona yesterday.
- This could be his first time wearing the Blaugrana shirt in a match!
The Youngsters Moving Up
Coach Flick will share minutes among the squad, but there are fewer academy kids than in England.
- Gistau, Diarra, and Álex González have already "graduated" to train with Barça Atlètic (the B team, coached by Juliano Belletti).
A Trip Down Memory Lane: Barça & Triangulars
Barcelona loves this format, but it’s been a while.
| Era | Details |
|---|---|
| The Golden Era (1990–2000) | Barça played 7 triangulars in cities like Oviedo, Marbella, Tenerife, Salamanca, Florence, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. All in preseason. |
| The Last One (2001) | 24 years ago. Organized by Barça to honor goalkeeper Urruti. Guests: Espanyol & Real Sociedad (Urruti’s former clubs). • Format: 3 games of 30 mins. • Barça won! (Draw vs Real Sociedad, 1-0 vs Espanyol). |
| Last 2-Game Tourney (2002) | The Amsterdam Quadrangular (4 teams). |
Know Your Rivals
Udinese (The Hosts)
- History: Champions League Group Stage 2005/06.
- Results: Barça won 4-1 at Camp Nou, Udinese won 2-0 in Italy.
Nottingham Forest (The English Giants)
- History: European Super Cup 1979/80. Barça (Cup Winners’ Cup champs) vs Forest (European Cup champs).
- Results: Forest won the trophy (1-0 in England, 1-1 draw in Barcelona).
- Fun Fact: 3 years later, Barça invited Forest to the Joan Gamper Trophy and beat them 2-0.
Summary: Why This Matters
- Fitness First: Short games = high intensity, low injury risk. Perfect for Raphinha & Araújo’s comeback.
- Squad Building: Flick checks who is ready for the real season.
- History: A rare, nostalgic tournament format returns after 24 years.
- New Faces: Chance to see new signing Jesse Bisiwu in action.
FAQ
1. What exactly is a "triangular" tournament?
It’s a mini-tournament with three teams. Usually, each team plays the other two. Here, Barcelona plays two short games (45 mins each) against Udinese and Nottingham Forest.
2. Why are the games only 45 minutes long?
Preseason is about building fitness safely. Short games let players go 100% intensity without the exhaustion (and injury risk) of a full 90 minutes. It’s like sprint intervals vs. a marathon.
3. Who is Jesse Bisiwu?
He is a young Belgian winger (wide attacker) who just signed for Barcelona. He joined the preseason camp in England immediately after signing. This tournament in Udine is his first chance to play in a Barça shirt.
4. Why haven’t Barcelona played a triangular in 24 years?
Modern preseason usually involves commercial tours (USA, Asia) or standard friendlies against one opponent. The triangular is an old-school Spanish/Italian format. The Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup brings this tradition back.
5. Did Barcelona win the last triangular they played?
Yes! In 2001, they organized a tournament to honor their former goalkeeper Urruti. They drew with Real Sociedad and beat Espanyol 1-0 to lift the trophy.
