Barcelona’s departure for Paris on Monday morning was delayed due to weather conditions beyond the club’s control, marking a fresh setback to the team’s schedule ahead of their Champions League fixture against Paris Saint-Germain.
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, the Catalan delegation was forced to adjust its travel arrangements after already enduring an exhausting weekend off the pitch, despite maintaining their winning momentum domestically.
Heavy fog over the French capital disrupted incoming flights, including Barcelona’s charter plane, which finally took off at 11:50 AM following a delay of over an hour while awaiting clearance from aviation authorities.
The club had originally planned to land around midday to allow players time for lunch and rest before their evening training session at the Parc des Princes, scheduled for 6:30 PM following Hansi Flick and Pedri’s pre-match press conference.
This travel disruption follows a chaotic return journey from Sevilla, where severe storms hitting Barcelona prevented their flight from taking off after Saturday night’s 5-2 victory over Real Betis. Players remained stranded inside the aircraft for over three hours before returning to their hotel to spend an extra night in the Andalusian city.
That delayed night threw the team’s recovery and training program into disarray, as Flick had scheduled a Sunday morning session at the Ciutat Esportiva. With another disrupted journey to France, the margin for rest continues to shrink during a crucial week combining a major European showdown and El Clásico, increasing the load management challenge for the German coach.
The squad’s troubles are compounded by the absences of Jules Koundé, Eric García, and Andreas Christensen. García is sidelined for three to four weeks with a thigh muscle injury, while Koundé misses the Paris match due to an ankle sprain, with his participation in El Clásico hanging in the balance based on his recovery progress.
Flick has called up young defender Álex Campos to reinforce his defensive options, while Gerard Martín made the traveling squad despite experiencing discomfort that forced him off at halftime against Betis. On a positive note, the return of Raphinha provides the manager with an attacking boost ahead of Tuesday’s match—which both Barcelona and PSG enter with two wins each—before hosting Real Madrid on Sunday.
