I don't like these friendlies being played a few weeks into the season ... just keeps that pre-season feel going till all of them are over and I'm sure players also get affected by that (mentally at least), just finish all friendlies BEFORE the Community Shield and then get going!
Manchester City are set to play a charity friendly against Barcelona this summer at the Camp Nou — with the match to take place after the start of the season.
The plan is for the game to take place on August 24.
It will be a charity game to raise funds for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) awareness. It is in honour of Juan Carlos Unzue, a former Barcelona player and assistant coach.
Unzue has a close bond with key figures at City, such as Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain. The game was originally arranged to be held last summer, but COVID restrictions in Spain would not have allowed fans into the stadium.
Both clubs agreed to postpone it to this summer in order to have more of a chance to raise funds.
Manchester City would travel to Catalonia after the Premier League’s third game week, when they visit Newcastle. The club will consider a multiple-day stay in the area to continue with their daily training sessions. They then take on Crystal Palace the following weekend.
Former goalkeeper Unzue was diagnosed with ALS in February 2020. He worked as FC Barcelona’s goalkeeping coach from 2003 to 2010 — a spell which included two years alongside Pep Guardiola.
He had a successful career in Spanish football in the 1990s with clubs such as Barcelona, Osasuna, Sevilla and Tenerife.
He also joined current Spain national team manager, Luis Enrique, at his backroom staff on spells at Celta Vigo and Barcelona. As a first-team manager, Unzue had spells in charge of Numancia, Celta and Girona.
It will be the first time Pep Guardiola has managed at the Camp Nou since 2016, when he visited in the Champions League group stage with City. Barcelona have also arranged a friendly against Jose Mourinho's Roma in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
Manchester City to travel to Barcelona for charity friendly after start of season
Manchester City are set to play a charity friendly against Barcelona this summer at the Camp Nou — with the match to take place after the start of the season.
The plan is for the game to take place on August 24.
It will be a charity game to raise funds for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) awareness. It is in honour of Juan Carlos Unzue, a former Barcelona player and assistant coach.
Unzue has a close bond with key figures at City, such as Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain. The game was originally arranged to be held last summer, but COVID restrictions in Spain would not have allowed fans into the stadium.
Both clubs agreed to postpone it to this summer in order to have more of a chance to raise funds.
Manchester City would travel to Catalonia after the Premier League’s third game week, when they visit Newcastle. The club will consider a multiple-day stay in the area to continue with their daily training sessions. They then take on Crystal Palace the following weekend.
Former goalkeeper Unzue was diagnosed with ALS in February 2020. He worked as FC Barcelona’s goalkeeping coach from 2003 to 2010 — a spell which included two years alongside Pep Guardiola.
He had a successful career in Spanish football in the 1990s with clubs such as Barcelona, Osasuna, Sevilla and Tenerife.
He also joined current Spain national team manager, Luis Enrique, at his backroom staff on spells at Celta Vigo and Barcelona. As a first-team manager, Unzue had spells in charge of Numancia, Celta and Girona.
It will be the first time Pep Guardiola has managed at the Camp Nou since 2016, when he visited in the Champions League group stage with City. Barcelona have also arranged a friendly against Jose Mourinho's Roma in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
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