Barcelona was set to face Serie A side Juventus in a pre-season friendly this evening in Santa Barbara, but the game has had to be cancelled after a virus spread through the Barcelona team, meaning they were unable to field a full lineup.
Several key players for Barca were struck down with the viral infection, and it was not deemed possible to play the game scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium.
The game against Juventus was due to kick off the ‘Soccer Champions Tour’ with the Blaugrana also facing Arsenal, AC Milan and Real Madrid.
A ‘significant’ part of the Barca squad contracted viral gastroenteritis, which is a nasty infection that can leave you completely drained and lacking energy.
Toni Juanmartí reported that at least 8-9 of the squad were dealing with the issue, and there are no guarantees that other players won’t also come down with it over the coming hours.
🚨 FC Barcelona hereby informs that the game against Juventus FC, scheduled for today, July 22 at 7:30 PM at Levi’s Stadium, as part of the Soccer Champions Tour, has been canceled. A significant part of the blaugrana squad has a viral gastroenteritis. pic.twitter.com/vnpmhFFucX
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 22, 2023