After Euros the rest is history

Jun 15 2008 By Gordon Waddell

No Break For The Barca Big Guns

BARCELONA fitness guru Paco Seirul-Lo has vowed Hibs and Dundee United will feel the Catalan giants' full force in pre-season as he prepares them for a Primera Liga revenge mission.

Barca checked out their St Andrews base last week ahead of a week-long July training camp.

And theman responsible for getting the club's stars up to peak power for a run at Real Madrid under new boss Pep Guardiola insists they WILL be wheeling out their Euro 2008 big guns in Scotland.

Seirul-Lo knows what's needed after winning five titles plus a European Cup and surviving through seven coaches at the Nou Camp.

This season more than ever, after finishing third and a whopping 18 points behind their bitter Classico rivals, the players will be put through the mill.

That will give the seven stars they have in Austria and Switzerland just three weeks' rest before they hit Fife. But none will be excused duty when they take on Mixu Paatelainen and Craig Levein's sides.

The 63-year-old said: "Our top players are in the Euros just now but will join us in St Andrews.

"They'll be tired, it's always the same problem with these tournaments that they don't have time to rest.

But the trip to Scotland will be the start of their pre-season. They don't come here looking for luxury, they come to train hard.

"When you're a club our size it's more painful to lose than anyone else. That's why we'll train even harder this summer.

"Playing against Scottish teams is physical and at this stage we want demanding games. We enjoy it here.

"And even though the players will just be back from the Euros it is important for the new coach to have them involved in the games. He needs to see what level their fitness is at."

This will be Barca's second summer on the bounce in Scotland - and Seirul-Lo insists that's a tribute to the standards set for them on the park and off it.

As one of the top five clubs in the world he insists Barca have their pick of venues across the globe.

But not even the spectre of last season's trip leading into a nightmare season for sacked boss Frank Rijkaard could put them off a return.

Paco grinned: "There are always superstitious people in football - but for us the superstitious ones have gone now anyway! We didn't play too badly anyway - there was no reason not to come back.

"I'm satisfied with all the preparations, equipment, facilities - the only thing I wasn't happy with last summer was the weather.

"We are demanding in terms of quality on offer but get everything we need here. We must find teams playing at a high level as well.

"Scottish sides play direct, they ask a lot of us and all that is good preparation for if we face a British team in the Champions League."

Guardiola will take his troops through a challenging schedule in Spain and Scotland before heading to Italy for a friendly with Fiorentina then on to the USA for two more matches ahead of their Champions League qualifiers in August.

One man looking certain not to be joining them though is Ronaldinho.

Asked whether he'd be putting the Brazilian through a strict regime after complaints about his weight and fitness last season, Seirul-Lo said: "There is only a slight chance he will be at the club next season so he probably won't be in St Andrews."