Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez was prevented from boarding a flight to the United States with his team on Saturday, due to his record of previous visits to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
And the Spanish newspaper “El Mundo Deportivo” reported that Xavi had previously visited Iran three times when he was a player for the Qatari club Al-Sadd, and therefore he needed to apply for special permission to visit the United States.
Xavi played the last game of his football career as a player in Tehran.
Barcelona realized this problem on Friday, and the club thought they had found a solution, but upon arrival at the airport Xavi was not allowed to board the plane, and the team had to travel without him.
Reports stated that Xavi should be able to travel on Monday and arrive in Miami in time to lead the Catalan club’s final training ahead of the upcoming friendly match once morest Inter Miami on Tuesday evening.
Brazilian Rafinha, Denmark’s Andreas Christensen and Ivory Coast’s Franck Kissier, players recently signed by Barcelona, traveled with the team.
And the Polish striker, Robert Lewandowski, had indicated in an interview with German television on Saturday, that he would join Barcelona on his tour, following it was announced that an agreement had been reached to transfer him from Bayern Munich.
Media reported that the Polish striker will undergo a medical examination in Miami.
After that, Barcelona will also face Juventus in Dallas, on July 27.
