Barca grants Messi, Suarez and Mascherano additional Christmas leave

Fresh from defeating Real Madrid 3-0, Barcelona has announced that three star players will be afforded a longer Christmas break.

Published : Dec 24, 2017 19:13 IST

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Javier Mascherano have been granted an extended rest over Christmas after helping Barcelona to open up a commanding lead at the top of LaLiga.

Barca signed off on 2017 with an emphatic 3-0 Clasico win over fierce rival Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. 

That result, together with defeats for Atletico Madrid and Valencia, means the Blaugrana are nine points clear of Diego Simeone's men going into the mid-season break.

Title holder Madrid, meanwhile, is a distant fourth, 14 points behind Barca, albeit with one game in hand.

"The FC Barcelona squad are now on their Christmas holidays," read a club statement. "The final whistle at the Bernabeu and the 3-0 victory over Real Madrid marked the beginning of the festive break for the players until their return to training on 30 December at 6.00pm CET. 

"Luis Surez, Leo Messi and Javier Mascherano all have the club's permission to rejoin the rest of their team-mates on in the new year on 2 January."

Barca's next match is against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey on January 4, followed by a LaLiga clash at home to Levante three days later.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment