Ecuador’s Barcelona to play series of friendlies before Copa Libertadores

Rubens Valenzuela, a member of Ecuadorian league club Barcelona’s coaching staff, told EFE Wednesday that the team would prepare for the 2019 Copa Libertadores by playing friendlies against Uruguay’s Peñarol and Nacional, and Peru’s Cesar Vallejo later this month.

“We’ll play a friendly foursome on Jan. 21 and Jan. 23 in Montevideo against Uruguay’s Peñarol and Nacional, and Peru’s Cesar Vallejo,” Valenzuela said.

Barcelona will have training camp in Uruguay Jan. 7-25 ahead of its debut in the Copa Libertadores and first match in the Ecuadorian legaue, which begins play on Feb. 8.

After preseason training and the friendlies in Uruguay, the club, which is managed by Uruguayan Guillermo Almada, will return to Guayaquil for the introduction of the team on Jan. 26 at a match against an opponent that has not yet been determined.

Barcelona, which finished last season in third place in the Ecuadorian league, retained the coaching staff led by Almada and added Uruguayan defender Robert Herrera and Ecuadorian midfielder Fidel Martínez to the roster.