Barcelona pay tribute to Lionel Messi’s father at Italian friendly tournament | OneFootball

Barcelona paid tribute to Lionel Messi’s father with a minute’s silence during a three-team friendly in Udine, Italy, on Saturday. According to L'Équipe, Barcelona and Nottingham Forest observed the tribute before their meeting, held hours after Jorge Messi’s death.

Jorge Messi, father of the club’s former captain Lionel Messi, died at 68 after a long illness earlier in the day. Barcelona had also posted a short message of condolence on their social channels.

The tournament featured Barcelona, Nottingham Forest and Udinese, with each side playing two 45-minute games. Udinese beat Forest 1-0, then defeated Barcelona 1-0 to top the event.

In the final match, Barcelona edged Forest 1-0 as Raphinha converted a penalty in the closing seconds.

Across Barcelona’s two outings, head coach Hansi Flick leaned on youth. The squad now head to Basel, Switzerland, on Sunday 16 August to continue pre-season preparations.

Source: L'Équipe

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