Euro 2016 is nearly over, meaning the new Premier League campaign is closing in. Here is how Chelsea will be preparing during pre-season.
With Euro 2016 nearing its conclusion, Premier League clubs are beginning their pre-season preparations ahead of the big kick-off on 13th August. Here is Chelsea’s pre-season schedule of who and where they will be playing between 16th July and 3rd August.
16th July – Rapid Vienna vs Chelsea (5pm BST)
Chelsea’s first pre-season fixture involves a trip to Austria to take on Rapid Vienna in their brand-new Allianz Stadion. The 28,000 all-seater stadium will welcome the Blues in their first match under new boss Antonio Conte. Some of the first-team squad won’t be in action due to their participation in the Copa America and Euro 2016 but will join the squad later in July.
20th July – RZ Pellets vs Chelsea (7pm BST)
Chelsea’s next game sees the squad travel south to Klagenfurt to take on a familiar opponent in RZ Pellets. The two sides met two years ago in the same Worthersee Stadium that will play host this time around. An outstanding solo effort from Chelsea youngster Jeremie Boga earned a 1-1 draw back in 2014.
27th July (28th July UK) – Chelsea vs Liverpool (International Champions Cup, 8:35pm PDT, 4:35am BST)
Pasadena, California, is the first stop on Chelsea’s tour of America, which sees the Blues up against Premier League rivals Liverpool. The friendly is a return to the Rose Bowl stadium where Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea met Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in 2009. The Blues came out on top then with a 2-0 victory. The Rose Bowl is one of the most iconic sporting venues in the US, having hosted the 1994 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy, making it a fitting venue for two of England’s powerhouses to do battle.
30th July – Chelsea vs Real Madrid (International Champions Cup, 3:05pm EDT, 8:05pm GMT)
Antonio Conte and his side next travel to Michigan to take on the European champions Real Madrid. This will be Chelsea’s first trip to Michigan and America’s largest stadium, the Michigan Stadium, which holds a whopping 107,601 spectators. The last time the two clubs met was in 2013 in Miami where Real Madrid won 3-1. Staggeringly, Chelsea’s last competitive fixture against the Spanish giants was 18 years ago when the Blues claimed a 1-0 win to win the European Super Cup.
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3rd August (4th August UK) – AC Milan vs Chelsea (International Champions Cup, 8:30pm CDT, 2:30am BST)
The last leg of the US summer tour sees the squad travel to Minneapolis to play AC Milan. The match will be contested in the brand-new 73,000 all-seater US Bank Stadium which will become the home of NFL outfit Minnesota Vikings. Hosting its first ever football match, the stunning venue is also set to welcome the Super Bowl in 2018.
AC Milan have been a familiar opponent in Chelsea’s pre-season schedule in recent times having last met in New Jersey back in 2013. Goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Andre Schurrle sealed a 2-0 win on that occasion.
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That concludes Chelsea’s short pre-season schedule for 2016. Antonio Conte will be hoping to get the players fit and sharp in time for the opening game against West Ham on the weekend of August 13th. Trips to new and iconic venues around the US and Austria will no doubt provide Conte and his players with the perfect facilities to prepare for what is set to be an exciting Premier League campaign.