Barcelona intensify training under new fitness coach Kugel; Adeyemi set for debut vs Birmingham

Hupu Football News | July 28

According to World Sports, Barcelona completed their second day of training at St. George's Park in England, with head coach Hansi Flick further increasing the training intensity. The first 15 minutes of the morning session were open to the media, and new fitness coach Benjamin Kugel, who joined the coaching staff this season, became the focus on the field.

Coaching Staff Changes

Kugel replaces Julio Tous, who is now responsible for Barcelona's youth academy and other sports projects. This marks Kugel's first role in Spanish football. Previously, he served on the coaching staff of:

• Werder Bremen
• Cologne
• PSV Eindhoven
• Benfica

He also worked for the German Football Association for nearly 10 years. During his time with the German national team, Kugel worked alongside Flick, who was then an assistant coach to Joachim Löw. Together, they helped Germany win the 2014 World Cup.

Player Updates

Return to Training

• Fermín López and Araújo completed their second training session after returning to grass training.
• Balde continued to train normally after missing last week's session due to pubic pain. He returned this Monday.

Fermín's Recovery

Fermín has now entered the third month of his recovery. He suffered a fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot during Barcelona's match against Betis and underwent surgery. His recovery is progressing well, with the goal of getting some playing time before the first La Liga match of the season against Elche on Sunday, August 23, at 21:30 local time.

Adeyemi's Debut

In contrast, Adeyemi is expected to make his Barcelona debut earlier. On Friday at 19:45 local time, Barcelona will play a friendly away against Championship side Birmingham City. Flick believes the German winger is ready to play.

Last Friday, Barcelona played an internal friendly against Europa at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, winning 4-1. Adeyemi did not participate in that match, as he had only been training in the gym for several days and had just one training session with the team after signing a contract until 2031.

Goalkeepers

Ter Stegen continues to train fully. Until the tax details preventing his season-long loan to Ajax are resolved, he will continue training with the team as planned. That day, he trained with Szczęsny, Jakobiashvili, and Iker Rodríguez for goalkeeper drills.

Upcoming Session

Barcelona will hold another closed training session at 19:00 local time.

Source: World Sports