CELTIC will spend a week in Leicestershire as the preparations for 10IAR ramp up with a training base. The Scottish Champions will travel down south before visiting Lyon to feature in a tournament with Lyon, Nice and PSG as Neil Lennon’s side increase their training workload ahead of what promises to be a hectic season.
The club will spend time at the Elite Athlete Centre before travelling across the English Channel to play three of France’s top sides. The games will give Neil Lennon’s side ample preparations before the season kicks off against Hamilton on August 2.
Celtic are due to play their European qualifiers in August as well as beginning the league season as the fixture schedule promises to be gruelling for the players in what will be a physically and mentally draining season.
Yesterday, newly appointed coach Gavin Strachan says that the pre-season trip will be the perfect preparation for the club as they prepare for the new season. It will give the players and management the opportunity to regroup following the three month layoff as a result of Coronavirus.
“The way the world is now, and with everyone so isolated for so long, any chance to get people together and spend quality time together, is something that we’re all looking forward to. We’re lucky that we’re able to do that.
“I’ve already seen a great spirit amongst the players already so to go away and cement that even more, ahead of what’s going to be an important season, is something that we feel is important.”
Strachan thinks that a trip away will allow him to get to know the players better as well as getting everyone going as pre-season ramps up ahead of the kick off to the new season. Games against PSG, Nice and Lyon will expose Celtic to a higher class of opposition ahead of the League restart as well as the European qualifiers throughout August.
Celtic’s preseason shaping up like (some details tbc):
⚽️ First friendly/Bounce this weekend.
🇫🇷 Away to Lyon 16th July
🇫🇷 Away to Nice 18th July
🇫🇷 Away to PSG 21st July
🏴 Friendly at Celtic Park 25th July— 20 Minute Tims Pod (@20MinuteTims) July 6, 2020
