FC Barcelona players will have to find a new way to spend their free time, after the club’s disciplinary code was changed to ban a favorite pastime of the players.
FC Barcelona players are already banned from extreme sports or particular practices likely to cause injury, the most famous case being that of Manuel Neuer, who broke his leg while skiing last season.
However, Sport indicates that many Barcelona players enjoyed playing padel in their free time, but this summer the code of conduct was changed to explicitly prohibit players from playing the racket sport. The management team is keen to avoid injuries, fearing that the players’ competitive nature could lead to unnecessary muscle strain in a sport that requires many short sprints.
It’s no surprise that FC Barcelona are aware of the injury risks this season. Three key players, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Ronald Araujo, have already suffered significant problems. In addition, Gavi, Alejandro Balde and Lamine Yamal are subject to high physical demands for their age, in a reduced squad which only has 19 senior players this season.
