The friendly against Preston North End, set to wrap up Barcelona’s pre-season tour to England on Monday, has been completely wiped from the schedule. This was supposed to be Hansi Flick’s final chance to eyeball his current squad on foreign soil, a crucial moment before the real grind starts. But nope, it’s not happening.
The U21 Snub That Cancelled Everything
So what actually went down? According to Diario SPORT, this whole thing fell apart because Preston North End couldn’t even field enough first-team players. Can you believe that? They apparently floated the idea of playing the game with their U21 team. Barcelona, naturally, said “hard pass.” Seriously, what’s the point of a top-tier club like Barcelona playing a friendly against a youth squad? Flick’s crew opted for a normal training session instead, and just like that, the whole match was off. From Preston’s side, it sounds like they were trying to save their main guys for a cup clash against Huddersfield Town next week. They weren’t willing to risk anyone ahead of a competitive game. So, the Monday morning showdown at St George’s Park? Toast.
Flick’s Pre-Season Gets Cut Short
With that friendly out of the picture, Barcelona’s England tour wraps up a game short. Instead of playing, they’re just holding a regular training session and guess what, they’ve already moved up their flight back to Barcelona. An earlier flight home means less time in England, period. This wasn’t some minor tweak either; it means the Catalans will now finish their pre-season with five friendlies instead of the six they originally planned. They’d already gone up against Europa and Birmingham on this tour, so losing that final test against Preston really changes the rhythm of their build-up. You’ve gotta wonder how much that missing game messes with Flick’s final assessments.
Udine Next, Then The Big One at Camp Nou
Now, all eyes are on the rest of Barcelona’s pre-season calendar. Their next outing is August 8, a triangular tournament where they’ll go head-to-head with Udinese and Nottingham Forest. They’ll play 45 minutes against each side at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine. But the real anticipation builds for August 19: the Joan Gamper Trophy. That’s when they’ll face Egyptian side Al-Ahly at Spotify Camp Nou. It’s not just a game; it’s the traditional team presentation to the fans, and even more importantly, Flick’s *final* big test before the competitive season kicks off. Losing that Preston friendly makes these upcoming games even more critical for the squad to gel.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply