Chelsea Pre-Season Preview: Where to Watch the Blues Playing This Summer
Following a roller-coaster season that included a Europa League trophy, League Cup final and third place finish in the Premier League, the Blues will have around six weeks of holiday before reporting back to the club when pre-season begins in mid-July for the upcoming 2019/20 campaign.
By the halfway point of summer, supporters will be hoping the managerial situation is ironed out and ideally know whether the club will be able to sign players in the next two transfer windows. All of Chelsea's pre-season contests will be held overseas and should be a solid test before the season begins in August.
Here's a closer look at who, when and where the Blues will be playing this summer.
Kawasaki Frontale
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The Blues' summer kicks off in Japan where they will take on 2018 J1 League Champions Kawasaki Frontale at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. Chelsea have previously played at the Nissan Stadium in 2012 where it played host to their two Club World Cup matches.
The match against Kawasaki Frontale is just the first match for the Blues in a friendly competition titled the Meiji Yasuda J. League World Challenge.
When Is Kickoff? | Friday 19 July |
What Time Is Kickoff? | TBA |
Where Is it Played? | Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan |
TV Channel/Live Stream | CTV |
FC Barcelona
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In a much more high-profile tune-up for Chelsea, the squad will travel to Saitama to take on La Liga Champions Barcelona. The two teams last faced off in the 2018 Champions League round of 16 when Barca defeated the Blues 4-1 on aggregate.
The match will be Chelsea's biggest test leading up to the Premier League season and Barcelona will be keen on getting ready for a title defence against the west London club.
When Is Kickoff? | Tuesday 23 July |
What Time Is Kickoff? | TBA |
Where Is it Played? | Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan |
TV Channel/Live Stream | CTV |
RB Salzburg
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After a week in Japan, the Blues will head to Red Bull Arena to take on Austrian Bundesliga champions RB Salzburg. Salzburg will provide a solid environment for Chelsea to prepare for the season, with Red Bull Arena having the capacity to hold 30,000 fans.
While the two sides have never met in the past, they could be set for a matchup in next season's Champions League group stages.
When Is Kickoff? | Wednesday 31 July |
What Time Is Kickoff? | TBA |
Where Is it Played? | Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria |
TV Channel/Live Stream | CTV |
