FC Barcelona have decided they will not go on a pre-season tour next summer. It's a decision taken in favour of sporting interests ahead of economic ones, thanks to pressure applied from within the Camp Nou dressing room.
As much the coach as the players, they consider a pre-season in the USA or Asia would be too much, and they would end up paying during the season. The reason is that the tours have a lot of hours of flying, at the cost of training sessions, a detail that could be ignored, but isn't by these professionals. Moreover, it seems the best results in terms of titles come after a summer with few journeys. It would also highlight how Real Madrid frequently do things in their economic interest over their sporting ones.
Fresh after Rafa Benitez's exit came the comments from Madrid players, about the team's physical state. "We traveled more than we trained," said Modric, after Madrid's trevails in China, Australia and Germany.
These are aspects that Barcelona have put on the table to push the board into ignoring the offers which will arrive from far flung corners of the world, and the advice of marketing executives who want to show off the team.
The board accepts the direction from the squad as long as the sporting results support it. And so, after winning the treble last season, in 2016 there will not be a tour. Moreover, the board will also recognise that two tournaments will distract much of the squad, in the Euros and the Copa America. Add to that the Olympic Games too.
Not to overload the players is common sense, and there may be trips within Europe instead, for example to help inaugurate West Ham's new stadium, or CSKA's.