Nutrition & the Barcelona Players Association - The Future is Here!
October 23rd 2019
I have completed the course and I have just two installments of the blog left. This being the penultimate piece where I will focus on Nutrition (see recovery smoothie Recipe below!) and the Barcelona Player Association.
“If you want to get better you must train hard every day, but without the right nutrition, it will not be possible” - Lionel Messi, 2017
Take a moment to click the link above. Barcelona with Beko, a strategic partner have created a campaign “Eat Like a Pro”. Click the picture above to go there.
Antonia Lizarraga & Mireia Porta take the stage for one of the presentations I have most been looking forward too. Nutrition in Sports. They are passionate in their approach to the nutrition of the players.
It is obvious the Nutritionists importance at FC Barcelona as they are based at Joan Camper just yards from La Masia and the 1st team pitches. Barcelona’s serious position on what the athletes (all of them – not just the football team) food intake is a major part of their internal plan for the players. Not just food is mentioned, but a general overview of a healthy lifestyle.
Mireja shows a model (Stretch-Eat-Sleep-Health) that Barcelona see as an Integral Sports Performance structure used by the Barcelona teams. Antonia really stresses the importance to avoid products that cause digestive problems.
They use food to increase muscle mass, help sleep programs and maintain what they keep refer to a general “healthy lifestyle” which is common in the Mediterranean. Lots of colorful foods are encouraged. Foods to sleep. Almonds, Kiwi, Turkey, Walnuts and Passionflower Tea to drink!
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Ramon Alfonseda & Xavi Roca, both notable former players at Barcelona (Xavi Roca ‘thinks’ the best player he played against was Zidane) roll though a sometimes-emotional presentation on their role within the Barca Players Association.
The premise of the Barcelona Players Association (BPA) is simple. The BPA supports former Barcelona players after they have finished their careers on a case by case basis. FCB take this seriously allocating 0.5% of every Barcelona players salary to a budget to help former players.
I would be amiss not to share a simple story here told with empathy and passion by Ramon. A former (nameless) Barcelona player had invested his money in real estate and lost everything, eventually his wife left and he had no money, no job and no way of getting his head above water. Barcelona Players Association paid his house off gave him a wage that could sustain him for 3 years and time to get back on his feet in life which he did.
I can assure you this attitude towards former players is totally unique. Mes Que un Club!