Football: Tokyo holiday for Barca before semi-final

FC Barcelona star player Lionel Messi reacts to Japanese fans upon his arrival at the Narita international airport, suburban Tokyo, on Sunday

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said yesterday he would give his men a brief holiday in Tokyo – including a taste of the city’s cuisine – ahead of their Club World Cup semi-final match Thursday.
The four-time European champions, starring Argentine Lionel Messi, arrived in Tokyo late Sunday night, about 14 hours after their 3-1 El Clasico victory over Real Madrid.
The squad had just half a day’s rest before hitting the pitch to train in Yokohama as they prepare for a semi-final clash against Asian champions Al Sadd of Qatar, with Barca aiming to capture the title for a second time.
Brazil’s Santos are seeded in the tournament’s other half against newly crowned Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol.
“I will give my players as much free time as possible,” Barcelona’s 40-year-old coach, speaking in Spanish, told a press briefing. “Leo [Messi] isn’t tired. He is all fit.”
“[But] I want them to relieve their accumulated fatigue before the match by reading books or otherwise relaxing themselves. Then they will raise their concentration levels.”
“I will take them to go sightseeing in Tokyo around noon tomorrow,” he said. “Especially, we want to eat a variety of genuine Japanese dishes.”
The victory over Real Madrid, which put Barcelona at the top of La Liga, boosted Guardiola’s men.
“We are here highly motivated and raring to go,” said captain Carles Puyol.
“It is very important for us to win this tournament. We have come after beating Real and we can go out with full confidence.”
But attacking right defender Dani Alves said Barca won’t look back at their triumph over Real as they head into Thursday’s semi-final.
“We are looking ahead as we always try to make history,” said the 28-year-old. “Our team have struggled really hard to qualify for this tournament so we will seize on this chance to climb to the top.”