Barcelona begin pre-season: Flick’s plans and La Liga schedule changes
Hansi Flick has returned to training with a reduced squad as many Barcelona players remain on holiday following their World Cup participation.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Author: Diliff
Barcelona have officially begun their preparations for the 2026/27 season. Manager Hansi Flick and his staff returned to work on Monday, though the squad remains significantly depleted as key players continue their break following the World Cup.
Among those present at the initial sessions are Wojciech Szczesny, Alejandro Balde, Andreas Christensen, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, Roony Bardghji, and Fermin Lopez. Fermin is currently managing a foot fracture, limiting his involvement, while several youth academy players have been called up to fill the gaps.
The club has mapped out a busy pre-season schedule. A behind-closed-doors match against CE Europa is set for July 24, followed by a training camp in England from July 27 to August 3. The camp includes a friendly against Birmingham City on July 31 and another potential fixture. Later in the summer, Barca will participate in a tournament in Italy featuring Udinese and Nottingham Forest, ahead of the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy on August 19.
Due to the number of players involved in the World Cup semi-finals and beyond, Barcelona’s opening La Liga fixture against Athletic Club has been postponed. The team will now kick off their title defence on August 22-23 with an away match against Elche.
Meanwhile, the transfer window remains active. Barcelona are closing in on a €22 million deal for Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi and are pursuing Julian Alvarez. To balance the books, the club is open to offloading Marc Casado, Ferran Torres, and loaning out Roony Bardghji.