Where could Arsenal play in their pre-season tour? | OneFootball

Arsenal’s season is a long way from being over, but the club is already casting their eyes forward at the next pre-season. With the FIFA World Cup happening over the summer, next pre-season will be about returning some to fitness while also ensuring World Cup players reintegrate without injury.

Arsenal have already made their first pre-season announcement, and are confirmed to be playing Real Betis at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on August 5th. Arsenal confirmed earlier this month that they would not be travelling to the United States for pre-season in order not to double air miles for players playing at the World Cup. But the team may well go further afield within similar regions or time zones as London, including Scandinavia, southern Europe or even Southern Africa, an area overflowing with Arsenal supporters. If you’re a South African Arsenal fan, be sure to check here for your soccer news & betting guide.

Scandinavia

Countries like Norway, Sweden and Denmark often attract major clubs on European pre-season tours. With the Scandinavian league running from around April to around November to avoid the harsh winters, native clubs are sharp and fit, right in the middle of their season, posing a much more refined opposition to most than other teams just warming up.

Scandinavia also represents one of Arsenal’s biggest and most loyal foreign fanbases, largely due to Arsenal Captain Martin Odegaard, but also with the lasting influence of players like Freddie Ljungberg and Nicklas Bendtner. Games played here would no doubt bring huge crowds, especially if Odegaard is fit.

France

Arsenal could go anywhere in Europe and find big crowds and strong teams to play. There are big pockets of support in countries like Spain and Germany, and growing support in the Balkan states. But the largest base of Arsenal support on the continent is in France. This is due to a combination of the legacies of Thierry Henry and Arsene Wenger, but also the modern influence of William Saliba.

From a logistical standpoint, it’s also much more attractive than a trip to the Americas. A journey to France is much easier on the players, racking up fewer air miles, and less time zone shifting will keep the players’ time aligned and fit. More time and more fitness mean better refined footballers come the start of the season.

Southern Africa

Southern Africa is arguably the most passionate region of Arsenal support anywhere outside North London. Football is the number one sport in countries like South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and they all have huge numbers of Arsenal followers. Playing games in South Africa would not only reward the loyal fans of the region but also solidify Arsenal support in the region for a generation.

Unfortunately, this is an unrealistic tour, especially given that it is a World Cup year. Although the time difference is negligible, it still will result in the team losing valuable training hours to travel, and the standard of teams that Arsenal would play would not effectively prepare them for a run at the Premier League title.