:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/17796265/175738142.0.jpg)
The ten first team players that have not been called up for international duty trained on Tuesday morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. These were Pinto, Oier, Montoya, Bartra, Piqué, Adriano, Busquets, Xavi, Dos Santos and Sergi Roberto. They were joined for part of the session by Pedro, who sustained a calf injury against Thailand and missed the game in Malaysia.
Chelsea defender David Luiz has refused to be drawn on reports linking him with a move to La Liga champions Barcelona. "I will only talk about the national team because this is all I can think about when I come here, that's how I think," Luiz is quoted as saying by Globo Esporte. "It was like this in Brazil during the Confederations Cup, and it will be like this here. You (the media) can try everything, but you won't get anything from me."
After a busy pre-season programme, including a tour of Asia that came to an end on Sunday, Barça begins a week of preparations for the first league match of the season against Levante in the Camp Nou on Sunday, kick-off 7 pm. The players who remain in Barcelona will train every day with the focus very much on Sunday’s match. Tata Martino will want to go into his first league encounter with the team in the best possible shape. The final session will be on Sunday after which the players will remain together until kick-off.
Barcelona's style will not change much this season under new manager Gerardo Martino, says left-back Jordi Alba. This is the first time in five years that Barca are not managed by somebody to have been on the club's books as a player and/or coach. "I don't think we're going to change much in our style or how we play. Things are the same at the back and I'm very comfortable," Alba told Marca.
Dani Alves is adamant that Barcelona will this season atone for their humiliating defeat in the Champions League semi-final to Bayern Munich by showing that it was an "accident"."There was no excuse for what happened," the 30-year-old told Mundo Deportivo, "and we really want to show this season that it was an accident. No-one can lose a semi-final 7-0 – it is outrageous for a team of our level. We were deservedly knocked out but the good thing about football is that sometimes you get a second chance."
Real Madrid’s interest in Gareth Bale appears to be cooling after head coach Carlo Ancelotti told club president Florentino Pérez that he did not consider the Tottenham player integral to his plans this season. Ancelotti’s comments, which are understood to have been made in a meeting with Pérez at the end of the club’s US tour, follow Cristiano Ronaldo’s refusal to publicly endorse the signing last week and a change in public opinion in Madrid.
The uneven distribution of TV money means that battle for the BBVA Primera Liga title in Spain is once again likely to be a two horse race between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, but that doesn't mean the other 18 clubs in the league should be ignored.
Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido is adamant that Geoffrey Kondogbia is not for sale after completing the signing of Uruguay Under 20 international Sebastian Cristoforo. "He is not for sale and this year whoever wants him will have to pay his buy-out clause of 20million euros (£17.2m)," Del Nido told a press conference to present the capture of Cristoforo.
Malaysia sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin used the Malay word "memalukan" to describe how the country's reputation had been sullied as Saturday night's friendly between Malaysia and Barcelona was shifted from Bukit Jalil to Shah Alam at the 11th hour.
Liverpool target Diego Costa has agreed a new contract with Atletico Madrid, according to Marca. The fiery Brazilian had been mooted as a replacement for Luis Suarez, with him possessing the same volatility and attacking zest as the Uruguayan, but reports coming out of Spain suggest that he has found agreement with Atleti to remain at the Vicente Calderón.