Barça arrive in Los Angeles - the women's team flew Business Class
A relaxed flight for the Blaugrana expedition. Malcom joined up with the squad for the US tour, and the problems with men and women's teams seating has now been resolved.
The Barcelona expedition, with new signing Malcom on board, touched down in Los Angeles on Thursday evening after flying in from Portland. During their stay, Barça will be based at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in the exclusive Beverly Hills district.
Barcelona fly to LA in Business Class
The trip to California was also a chance to put right the problematic, transatlantic flight from Barcelona to Portland, in which the men's team were booked into Business Class but the women's team were in Economy Class. This time, the women flew to Los Angeles In Business Class and Barça made sure that everyone knew by publishing several photos on their Twitter account.
Media criticized
Earlier, club director Maria Teixidor pusblished an open letter in which she criticized the cynicism in the way the media reported the way the men and women's teams had been separated during the outgoing flight, and noted that the press "should recognize the efforts which our club, a pioneer in so many areas, is making for the good of women's sport. A better new world can only made a reality if we all are rowing in the same direction, every one of us in our own sphere of activity and accepting the same responsibility".
Saturday's action
Barcelona's men's and women's teams have a busy agenda in LA, where several landmarks have been lit up in blue and claret to mark the club's arrival. Apart from institutional obligations, the teams will be in action this weekend - Barça Femení take on Women's Premier Soccer League side SoCal FC at Drake Stadium on Saturday at 10:00 hours local time (19:00 CEST) while Ernesto Valverde's team are due to face Tottenham Hotspur at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena later on Saturday (20:05 hours local time, 05:05 here in Spain).
