Arsenal has announced its full schedule of pre-season friendlies ahead of the 2007/08 season.
The players join up for the start of pre-season training in early July and will kick-off the first of seven pre-season matches against Barnet on Saturday 14th July. This match has become the regular curtain-raiser in recent seasons and will be played at Underhill, which will once again be the venue for Arsenal Reserves matches for the 2007/08 season.
The first-team squad then travel to Austria where they will spend eight days at a training camp and during which time will play matches against Turkish team Genclerbirligi in Bad Waltersdorf before visiting Austrian side FC Red Bull Salzburg.
The weekend of Saturday 28th July and Sunday 29th July sees the inaugural Emirates Cup tournament taking place at Emirates Stadium, with the hosts playing Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday 28th July and bringing the tournament to an exciting finish playing Inter Milan on Sunday 29th July.
Pre-season 2007/08 is completed in Holland. Once again Arsenal will be participating in the Amsterdam Tournament, a famous pre-season event. The Gunners have has been regulars in recent years and took home the trophy in 2005. This year Arsenal and hosts Ajax are joined by Lazio and Atletico Madrid. Arsenal will play two matches in the tournament, firstly against Lazio on Thursday 2nd August and finish the tournament against Ajax on Saturday 4th August.
Ticket details for some of the matches are still to be finalised, but will appear on Arsenal.com as soon as they are confirmed.
Full list of pre-season matches as follows:
Barnet v Arsenal
Pre-Season Friendly, Underhill
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Genclerbirligi Ankara v Arsenal
Pre-Season Friendly, Bad Waltersdorf, Austria
Thursday, July 19, 2007
FC Red Bull Salzburg v Arsenal
Pre-Season Friendly, Salzburg, Austria
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain
Emirates Cup, Emirates Stadium
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Arsenal v Inter Milan
Emirates Cup, Emirates Stadium
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Lazio v Arsenal
Amsterdam Tournament, Amsterdam Arena
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Ajax v Arsenal
Amsterdam Tournament, Amsterdam Arena
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Wah got soem big matches. expect injuries to come. :\
Valencia replace Hamburg at Emirates Cup
Arsenal Football Club today announces that Spanish La Liga side Valencia will be participating in the Emirates Cup, replacing Hamburg in this exciting pre-season competition.
German side Hamburg have had to pull out of the seasonÂ’s curtain raiser at Emirates Stadium due to qualification into the Intertoto Cup, which has resulted in a clash of fixtures over the same weekend.
Arsenal is delighted to welcome such a high profile replacement in Valencia, who have already qualified for next seasonÂ’s UEFA Champions League through their consistently strong performances in La Liga.
Valencia have been one of the leading club sides in Spanish football for a number of years and currently boast stars such as David Villa, Santiago Canizares, and of course ex-Arsenal midfielder Edu.
Valencia will directly replace Hamburg in the fixtures over the weekend, with matches now as follows:
Inter Milan v Valencia
Emirates Cup, Emirates Stadium
Saturday, July 28, 2pm
Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain
Emirates Cup, Emirates Stadium
Saturday, July 28, 4.15pm
Paris Saint-Germain v Valencia
Emirates Cup, Emirates Stadium
Sunday, July 29, 2pm
Arsenal v Inter Milan
Emirates Cup, Emirates Stadium
Sunday, July 29, 4.15pm
Arsenal Managing Director Keith Edelman said: “We are delighted to welcome Valencia to the Emirates Cup and it’s great that a club with such a successful history and high profile have agreed to join us for our pre-season competition.
Hamburg’s late surge up the Bundesliga meant that they could no longer take part in the Emirates Cup, but I’m sure all supporters will be excited by the prospect of watching Arsenal, Valencia, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain playing at Emirates Stadium in July.”
