Messi, Simeone and La Liga teams gear up for comeback

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Updated

SHOWS:

BARCELONA, SPAIN (MAY 9, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)

1. BARCELONA PLAYMAKER LIONEL MESSI SMILING DURING TRAINING SESSION

2. DEFENDER SAMUEL UMTITI JUGGLING

3. GOALKEEPER TER STEGEN BLOCKING BALLS

4. FORWARD ANTOINE GRIEZMANN TRAINING WITH BALL

5. STRIKER LUIS SUAREZ DOING EXERCISE AND SPRINTING

6. MIDFIELDER IVAN RAKITIC WALKING DURING SESSION

MAJADAHONA, SPAIN (MAY 9, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

7. FORWARD JOAO FELIX GETTING TEMPERATURE CHECKED INSIDE CAR BEFORE ENTERING ATLETICO MADRID'S TRAINING CAMP

8. COACH DIEGO SIMEONE WEARING MASK AND GLOVES RUNNING AND SIGNALING

9. PLAYERS TRAINING

10. STRIKER DIEGO COSTA STRETCHING

11. FORWARDS JOAO FELIX, ANGEL CORREA AND ALVARO MORATA STRETCHING

VALENCIA, SPAIN (MAY 9, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)

12. VALENCIA COACH ALBERT CELADES SETTING UP MATERIAL FOR TRAINING SESSION

13. VARIOUS OF MIDFIELDER FRANCIS COQUELIN TRAINING

14. MIDFIELDER DANIEL PAREJO STRETCHING

15. VARIOUS OF FORWARD GONCALO GUEDES TRAINING

16. STRIKER RODRIGO MORENO WAVING

17. LEFT BACK JOSE LUIS GAYA RUNNING

18. STRIKER KEVIN GAMEIRO SHOOTING

19. MORENO RUNNING

20. MIDFIELDER GEOFFREY KONDOGBIA RUNNING

SEVILLE, SPAIN (MAY 10, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)

21. VARIOUS OF REAL BETIS MIDFIELDER ANDRES GUARDADO TRAINING

22. VARIOUS OF STRIKER BORJA IGLESIAS TRAINING

23. GUARDADO RUNNING

24. STAFF MEMBER WEARING MASK

25. IGLESIAS SPRINTING

26. PLAYER TRAINING WEARING GLOVES

27. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS CRISTIAN TELLO AND JOAQUIN SANCHEZ WEARING MASK BESIDE PITCH

STORY: FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi was back at training on Saturday (May 9) after Spanish soccer clubs resumed training on Friday (May 8) for the first time since activity was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic and targeted resuming the season in June.

Coach Diego Simeone led training with his Atletico Madrid squad on Saturday, while Valencia CF and Real Betis were also gearing up for the big comeback.

Organising body La Liga said clubs in the top two divisions would return to individual training following a protocol it had agreed with Spain's sports and health authorities and which guaranteed the safety of players and staff.

The protocol obliges players to undergo testing for the novel coronavirus before they can return to training facilities.

(Production: Miguel Gutierrez, May Ponzo)