Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have been thanked by former Spain international Joan Capdevila for visiting his sick 20-month old son and other children in hospital during the Christmas holidays.
Barcelona players made their annual visits to local hospitals on Tuesday to spend time with the young patients and hand them gifts ahead of Epiphany on Jan. 6, the traditional celebration when Spanish children receive their presents.
On one of the visits, Messi and Suarez went to the Hospital de Nens in Barcelona where Capdevila's youngest son is being treated for a spine infection.
The Barcelona players spent time with the 38-year-old left-back, who plays for Andorran club FC Santa Coloma, and his family.
�� Leo #Messi & @LuisSuarez9 con Joan Capdevila @capde11 en el Hospital de Nens de Barcelona #FCBlive #ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/KJijEAXyph
- FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) January 3, 2017
"It was a great joy to see them both," Capdevilla told Cadena Ser radio. "It was strange to see them in a hospital and not on the pitch.
"It was a wonderful surprise and they even joked and said: 'Not you again, what a nightmare!' Leo and Luis have been wonderful with the children, they had big smiles and you can only be grateful."
Capdevila said that while his infant son is too young to appreciate the visit, his eldest was moved by the gesture, who spoke to them through a video call.
"My youngest child is 20 months old so he doesn't know about team colours or players yet but they did call my six-year-old, who was in Lleida and he was thrilled," he said. "He is a big Barca fan."
Capdevila, a former Deportivo, Villarreal and Espanyol star, says that players may sometimes not fully appreciate how much their visits mean to children and their families, especially during the Christmas holidays.
"You can imagine how difficult it is to be seven days in a hospital room," Capdevila said. "Fortunately, it was just a scare for my son and we will be able to go home tomorrow after spending Christmas in hospital.
"One doesn't realise what it really means until you experience it first hand.
"For many years, I went to hospitals to see children and now other players come and see my boy. It really helps. The time they dedicate to these children is so important. It's great for the children."