Barcelona Friendly Against Juventus Called Off After Virus Sweeps Through Squad

• Barcelona's eagerly anticipated pre-season showdown with Juventus faced a last-minute twist
• A stomach infection plagued several Barcelona players and coaching staff
• A total of 12 players and 3 coaching staff members caught the stomach bug

Barcelona have announced the cancellation of their pre-season friendly against Juventus, as several members of their squad have fallen ill with a virus.

The match, originally set to be held in California on Saturday, has been called off, marking the first of four fixtures that Barca had planned during their tour of the United States.

The Catalan giants are still set to face Arsenal on July 27, Real Madrid on July 29, and AC Milan on Aug. 2 as per their original schedule.

The 2022/23 LaLiga champions said in a statement:

“FC Barcelona hereby informs that the game against Juventus FC, scheduled for today, July 22 at 7:30 p.m at Levi’s Stadium, as part of the Soccer Champions Tour, has been cancelled."

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“A significant part of the Blaugrana squad has a viral gastroenteritis.”

ESPN reports that the stomach infection plagued several players and coaching staff, affecting a total of 12 players and 3 members of the coaching team.

Barcelona begin their pre-season tour

Barcelona were expected to start their 2023 pre-season tour on July 23 with a fixture against Italian giants, Juventus, in Santa Clara, California, per Goal.

The Catalan club then travels south to SoFi Stadium in LA to take on Arsenal on July 27, before playing fierce rivals, Real Madrid, on July 29 in Arlington, Texas.

Barcelona will bring the pre-season to a close with a contest against UEFA Champions League semi-finalists, AC Milan, in Las Vegas on August 2.

Barcelona to play without fans

In news related to the Catalan giants, Sports Brief also reported on Barcelona's first season fixture excluding fans due to the current sanctions against Getafe, following a 2019 clash with Tenerife.

La Blaugrana have been given something of a raw deal - or a good one, depending on how away fans feel about them - with their clash set to happen without crowds at the Getafe home ground.