Barcelona prefer to play Dutch giants in Joan Gamper Trophy as club look to skip summer tour | OneFootball

As we approach the business end of the current campaign, with Barcelona on the verge of clinching the La Liga title, preparations for the new season are already underway behind the scenes.

One of the traditional markers of Barcelona’s pre-season is the Joan Gamper Trophy, the annual friendly hosted at the Camp Nou that has served as a curtain-raiser for the new campaign for decades.

The fixture gives Hansi Flick’s side a chance to fine-tune their preparations in front of their home fans before the competitive season begins.

Ajax the preferred opponent

According to Catalunya Radio (h/t FCB World), Barcelona’s strong preference for this summer’s Gamper Trophy is Ajax Amsterdam.

The match is expected to take place between August 12 and 15, with the La Liga season scheduled to begin on August 15.

Two other options are also on the table. RB Leipzig have been considered, as has Al-Ahly, though there is some ambiguity surrounding which Al-Ahly is being referenced, with both the Egyptian club and the Saudi club sharing the same name.

Barcelona want to lock horns against Ajax in the Joan Gamper trophy. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

For now, Ajax remains the option Barcelona are pushing for, and a final decision is expected in the coming weeks as logistical planning for the new season continues to take shape.

The Gamper Trophy will serve as the culmination of a busy pre-season schedule. The report adds that Barcelona will not embark on a summer tour this year. Instead, the club are planning a training camp in Birmingham, England, from July 27 to August 4.

During the camp, Barcelona are expected to play one or two friendlies, with at least one against an English club, which may require travel within England during that period.

Upon returning from Birmingham on August 4, the club are planning two further friendlies.

One could to take place in Morocco, while the other is a highly lucrative fixture against Liverpool in Kenya, from which Barcelona could earn between €4 and €5 million in revenue alone.