Barcelona team bus gets LOST in Jeddah traffic ahead of 'Spanish Super Cup' clash

FC Barcelona were scheduled to arrive at the Ittihad Stadium, Jeddah on Wednesday at 3:45 PM CET (8:15 PM IST). With their Spanish Super Cup semi-final clash against Atletico Madrid to be held on January 9 (January 10 IST), the Catalan club was set to train at the Ittihad. However, the team bus got lost in the city, delaying their expected time of arrival.

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Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde and Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets were scheduled for mandatory media duty before their training session. However, the press conference was cancelled after the entire squad failed to make it to the stadium on time.

Multiple reports suggest that the driver headed off to the King Abdullah Sports Stadium (where Real Madrid defeated Valencia) instead of Ittihad. The team got further delayed when the bus got stuck in the city traffic. 

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Spanish Super Cup: Barcelona release an updated schedule for the press conference

The delay in arrival meant Ernesto Valverde conducted his press conference after the team finished their first training routine in Jeddah. Barcelona entered the revamped version of the Spanish Super Cup as the defending champions.

However, Valverde remains under pressure before the semi-final on Thursday night (Friday IST). With just one win in their last four games (D3) and a disappointing 2-2 draw against Espanyol in their last LaLiga fixture, Lionel Messi and company would look to start their title defence on the front foot.

Spanish Super Cup: Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid, Valverde speaks

Ernesto Valverde criticised the revamped format of the tournament, conceding he prefers the previous format. Until last year, the tournament was played between two teams - winner of La Liga and the Copa del Rey, but following successful discussions, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) went ahead with the new format.

"It has always been the first title of the season, the game that opens the season, and I thought it was good. The Supercopa (Spanish Super Cup) format has been changed and we will see how it is." - Ernesto Valverde

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Spanish Super Cup: Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid, training routines

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Picture Credits: FCBarcelona.com