Created on 09-07-2008 at 00:00 AM
Ten days into pre-season, Jürgen Klinsmann’s squad regained three of its experienced members when Martin Demichelis, Lucio and Willy Sagnol returned to the Säbener Strasse from vacation on Wednesday morning. Fourteen of the 23 first-team squad are now back in Munich, with the remaining nine set to report for duty next week.
Cloudy, wet weather greeted the international trio on a day featuring a packed schedule. Oliver Schmidtlein and his fitness team were first up to the plate, supervising the Argentine, the Brazilian and the Frenchman through a standard test to be taken by all the players after vacation, generating benchmark scores for flexibility, co-ordination and stability. Demichelis, Lucio and Sagnol then joined fitness specialist Marcelo Martins for a few stamina-building laps of the training ground.
Sprints replaced by passing
The rest of the squad performed exercises designed to boost power. Lower leg strength and explosivity were measured with the help of a springboard, pull- and push-ups tested upper body strength, while further exercises determined the stars’ poise and balance.
A series of sprints featuring on the original schedule was cancelled due to the rain. The players worked instead on passing and movement, with games of six-against-three in small zones marked out on the training pitch. The sprints have been rescheduled for Thursday.