Barcelona finalize opponent for Joan Gamper Trophy match
Barcelona has officially announced their opponent in the annual Joan Gamper Trophy match. Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur will travel to Spain to play the LaLiga champions for the fixture.
The two teams will face off for the trophy on Tuesday, August 8th at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. This will be Barca’s temporary home stadium while Camp Nou undergoes renovations.
The upcoming game will be the 58th version of the Joan Gamper Trophy. Barca began holding the exhibition game in 1966 in honor of Gamper.
The swiss-born soccer executive previously helped found the club and then eventually became their president. Barca has collected the trophy in 10 consecutive years. In fact, Sampdoria remain the last team to defeat the Spanish side in the competition back in 2012.
Joan Gamper Trophy will complete preseason for both teams
The matchup between Barca and Spurs will be the final preseason match for both clubs. Barca first travel to the United States for four exhibition games across the country. These fixtures include solid tests against fellow European powerhouses Juventus, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.
Spurs, on the other hand, will travel to Australia and Southeast Asia for their preseason preparations. The north London outfit will soon play familiar foes West Ham and Leicester City, before ending their tour against Lion City Sailors. They have then scheduled a home friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk before heading to Spain for the Joan Gamper Trophy.
It remains to be seen if Harry Kane will be a part of the traveling Spurs group for the matchup in Spain. The superstar striker is entering the final year of his current contract with the club. Bayern Munich has already made two unsuccessful bids to sign Kane this summer. Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with the England international as well.
Quick turnaround as clubs head into new season
Both Barca and Spurs will start their domestic leagues just five days after the aforementioned friendly. The reigning LaLiga champs begin their 2023/24 campaign away to Getafe. Spurs have a tough first fixture for new manager Ange Postecoglou, as they will have to face Brentford in the opening match of the season.
Photo credit: IMAGO / imagebroker