FC Barcelona arrive in Doha

The FC Barcelona Lassa expedition touched down in Doha at around 6.00pm local time after a long trip from Catalonia to the Qatari capital. The players combined rest and entertainment on the six-hour flight, with some opting to read or enjoy the in-flight entertainment, while others chatted or simply got some sleep. On arrival, they were greeted by scorching temperatures of around 32 degrees centigrade, although that's actually relatively cool for this time of year in Doha, where can regularly get much hotter, often over 40 degrees. From the airport, the players were transferred to the hotel where they'll be staying throughout their time in Qatar as they bid to win the SuperGlobe, the world championship for clubs, for the third year in a row.

The players and coaches then gathered for supper at 8.30pm sharp, and before heading back to their rooms for some rest before their first training session in Qatar, which is scheduled for Sunday morning at 11.00am. On Monday at 4.00pm CET, things get really serious with the quarter final match against Egypt's Al-Ahly. If Barça win that, they'll meet either host club Al Sadd or Sydney University of Australia in the semi-finals the day after. The four clubs on the other side of the bracket are MKB Veszprém of Hungary, HC Taubaté of Brazil, Füchse Berlin of Germany and Club Africain of Tunisia.