FC Barcelona pre-season 2017-2018 – Training schedule, fixtures and US tour

July is just a few days away from us and a new exciting season is already on the brink! FC Barcelona will return to work under the orders of their new manager Ernesto Valverde on July 12 and at the moment, there’s still a lot to be decided in regards to the team roster for the 2017-2018 season and the challenges ahead. Some of the players who have had international appearances for their country will be given a few extra days, which will be the case of the Brazilian superstar, Neymar Jr. The 25-year old should join his crew 2 days later, on July 14.

The team will meet at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper and that’s where they’ll have their first contact with Valverde and initiate their first week of training.

Roughly a week later, on July 19, by the time almost everyone should be back from holidays (except Ter Stegen and André Gomes, who have been playing for their nations until late June or early July), Barcelona will travel to the United States to kickoff their 2017-18 US pre-season tour. This may also be a good time to place some bets on Barcelona winning major trophies next season. Take a look at our recommended 2017 free bets list to find the best odds on the market! A Barcelona win over Real Madrid on August 12 for the 1^st leg of the Spanish Super Cup is currently priced at 9/10. You won’t find better odds than that!

July 22 // Juventus
Barcelona’s first test in this pre-season will be Juventus, the 6-times in a row Serie A champions. The stage will be the impressive Metlife Stadium in New Jersey, with a full capacity for 82.500 spectators. The Italian giants were very close to the “triplete” last year, after winning the Italian league and Italian cup, but collapsing against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final in Cardiff, where they’ve lost 4-1.

July 26 // Manchester United
Four days later, on July 26, the Blaugrana will lock horns with José Mourinho’s Manchester United. The stage couldn’t be bigger, as both teams will face at the FedEx Field in Maryland, the biggest NFL stadium in the US. The English powerhouse are looking forward to the new season, especially after securing a Champions League entrance in their last game of the season, the Europa League final. The Red Devils, who had finished 6th in the Premier League, beat Ajax 2-0 in the decisive game in Solna, Sweden and earned a last-minute ticket for the Champions League in 2017-18. It’s also going to be interesting to see how Neymar performs in this match, since summer after summer, the Brazilian is being linked with a move to United.

July 29 // Real Madrid
Even though the first two tests are already extremely difficult from a competitive point of view, the following match on July 29 couldn’t be tougher and will present Barcelona a massive challenge. The back-to-back European champions Real Madrid will meet Barcelona in Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium and like with any other El Clasico, we can expect fireworks! The two teams will then meet again in August for a 2-legged Spanish Super Cup final…

August // Chapecoense
Finally and after completing their US tour and going through all their 3 games in the International Champions Cup, Barcelona’s last pre-season game should be a home game at the Camp Nou against Chapecoense, the Brazilian team who had the misfortune of being involved in a plane crash last year, which led to 71 people that were on board to die. The exact date in which this game will be held is yet to be announced, as well as any additional pre-season fixtures.

La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup should then start in mid/late August, while the UEFA Champions League will kickoff in September.

Sources: fcbarcelona.com / skysports.com