Barcelona have reportedly chosen to face Birmingham City in a pre-season friendly as part of their planned stay at St George's Park. The Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported that the Spanish giants are currently finalising their summer plans, with Birmingham expected to be part of an upcoming announcement.
Pre-Season Preparations
Barcelona, who are poised to be crowned Spanish champions for a second successive season, will begin preparations for next season at St George's Park. Hansi Flick's side are expected to spend two weeks at English football's national football centre in Burton upon Trent from July 27 to August 8. This will be the third time Barcelona have based themselves at the centre in pre-season, following previous visits in 2014 and 2016.
Reasons for Choosing Birmingham
The Spanish giants have chosen to head to England for the early stages of pre-season, with a tour of the United States off the table due to the World Cup in North America. The close proximity to Birmingham reportedly led to Barcelona selecting the Championship side for the friendly. Barcelona will likely be without several of their star names, with the expectation that a number will still be on holiday after participating in the latter stages of a World Cup with their respective nations.
Historical Context
Barcelona and Birmingham have played each other five times, with each match coming in the Fairs Cup, the forerunner to the UEFA Cup. The Spanish giants edged Birmingham in the semi-finals of the 1957-58 edition, which required two legs and a further play-off tie to decide the finalists. Barcelona then beat Birmingham in a two-legged final in 1960, with a goalless draw at St Andrew's followed by a 4-1 victory at the Nou Camp.
Birmingham's Ambitions
Birmingham have ambitious American owners, including Tom Brady, and have been vocal about their aims to return the club to the Premier League. After their promotion from League One, Birmingham finished 10th in their first season back in the Championship, ending nine points off the play-off places.
Further Friendlies
A pre-season fixture against Birmingham will reportedly launch Barcelona's pre-season plans, with the club expected to travel to Kenya and Morocco for further friendlies.
