FC Barcelona
is set to finalize their pre-season schedule shortly. The squad will head to England for a training camp at St George’s Park, the national training facility of the English Football Association located in Burton upon Trent, north of Birmingham.
With several players engaged in international duty at the World Cup, Hansi Flick will manage the team’s preparations at the camp from July 27 to August 3 or 4, utilizing this opportunity for the club’s initial summer friendlies.
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Two Friendly Matches in England
As reported by
Mundo Deportivo
, Barcelona is anticipated to play two friendly games during their tour in England this July.
The only publicly confirmed match will take place on Friday, July 31, when Barcelona competes against Birmingham City at St Andrew’s Stadium.
Barça will take on Birmingham City, coached by Chris Davies. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Birmingham City, under the management of Chris Davies, ended their season in 10th place in the EFL Championship, falling short of the Premier League promotion.
Additionally, the La Liga champions are set to compete in a closed-door match against either Watford or Stoke City, with the latter being the former club of Barça’s football coordinator Bojan Krkic. These teams finished 16th and 17th in the Championship, respectively.
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Possible Matches Against Morocco and Argentina
Other friendly matches are still under consideration. A potential clash against
Liverpool
in Nairobi, Kenya,
has been postponed
due to the outbreak of Ebola in neighboring regions.
Nevertheless, Barcelona is still contemplating a match in Morocco against a local team, and discussions are ongoing for a high-profile friendly against River Plate at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
A friendly against
Julian Alvarez
’s former team, River Plate, would garner significant interest if Alvarez transfers to Barcelona prior to this match. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
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The Joan Gamper Trophy is anticipated to take place over the weekend of August 15-16. This rescheduling follows La Liga’s announcement that the league season will commence a week later than previously scheduled.
Ajax was previously considered as a potential opponent for the traditional opening fixture, but the Dutch team
is no longer available. Barça is actively searching for an appropriate opponent while finalizing what looks to be a busy pre-season schedule.