Overnight Seville stay shortens Barcelona’s PSG preparation
Barcelona’s return from Seville was delayed by 14 hours, leaving the squad with a shortened recovery and preparation window before its trip to face Paris Saint-Germain. After Saturday’s 18:30 match against Real Betis at La Cartuja, the team had planned to fly straight back to Barcelona, but heavy rain disrupted the journey and forced the expedition to spend the night in Seville. The next flight, to Paris, was scheduled for Monday at 10:30.
MARCA reported on 18 October that the team’s travel plans had been changed by the weather, while La Vanguardia also reported that the squad stayed overnight in Seville after its return flight was cancelled. The delay followed Barça’s 5-2 win over Betis, a match that had been expected to be followed by an immediate return home.
The disruption came after a demanding Barcelona match against Betis, but the altered travel timetable-not the result-became the immediate complication for Hansi Flick’s preparations.
The players and staff initially remained aboard the aircraft as delays continued. When the expected departure was pushed back to around 04:00, the expedition returned to its hotel and stayed in Seville overnight.
Barcelona eventually left close to midday and landed at 14:45. The original plan had been to train at 11:00 at the Ciutat Esportiva, but the late arrival forced the staff to adjust the Sunday schedule.
After landing, the squad was due to go directly to the club facilities for a light recovery session in the gym. MARCA described the change as a disruption to a schedule planned by Flick, with only a few hours in Barcelona before the team had to prepare for the next journey.
The compressed turnaround comes ahead of Tuesday’s high-profile meeting with PSG. The team was scheduled to fly to Paris on Monday morning, leaving limited time for rest and recovery after the overnight stay and delayed return.
The travel disruption does not establish that Barcelona will suffer a sporting decline or require any particular selection decision. The immediate plan was a light gym session in Barcelona, followed by the scheduled 10:30 departure for Paris.
