Al Ahly fly to Spain for pre-season camp and Barcelona test

Al Ahly have travelled to Spain for a pre-season training camp that will include a high-profile meeting with Barcelona in the 61st Joan Gamper Trophy at Camp Nou on 19 August.

The Egyptian club’s squad departed on Thursday for the camp, which will run from 6 to 20 August as part of preparations for the new season.

Al Ahly’s visit will culminate in their match against Barcelona, one of the most prestigious friendly fixtures in European football. The game will form part of Barcelona’s annual Joan Gamper Trophy, which traditionally marks the start of the Catalan club’s season and serves as the occasion when the team is presented to its supporters.

The Al Ahly board, led by chairman Mahmoud El Khatib, has appointed board member Tarek Kandil to lead the football delegation in Spain.

The club published photographs of the squad travelling for the camp, with established players including goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, Emam Ashour, Ahmed Zizo and Marwan Attia among those pictured.

Al Ahly are also expected to play Spanish fifth-tier side Badalona in Barcelona on 12 August. The fixture is part of head coach Hussein Ammouta’s programme to prepare the squad for the forthcoming campaign.

Badalona’s ownership recently passed to Egyptian businessman Amir Zuhair Grana.

Because of the limited time between the end of the Spanish camp and the beginning of the Egyptian league, Al Ahly have decided to return home by private aircraft. They will leave Spain after facing Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy on 19 August.

The Egyptian league is scheduled to begin on 21 August. Al Ahly will start their league campaign against Eastern Company Enppi on Sunday, 23 August, and will finish the first half of the competition against Wadi Degla.

Al Ahly’s Joan Gamper Trophy history

The Barcelona fixture will give Al Ahly a new page in their history when they take on the Spanish club on 19 August in the 61st edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy.

Although the competition is a friendly tournament, it holds a significant place in Barcelona’s calendar. It is regarded by supporters as an annual celebration of the club’s return to action and is the official event used to introduce the new squad before the season begins.

The tournament was established in 1966 on the initiative of then-Barcelona president Enric Llaudet. It honours Joan Gamper, the Swiss founder of Barcelona, who established the club in 1899 and played a central role in laying its foundations before it developed into one of the world’s biggest football institutions.

The competition has been held every year since its creation and has become a regular part of Barcelona’s pre-season schedule.

In its early years, the Joan Gamper Trophy featured four teams competing in semi-finals, a final and a match to determine third place. Barcelona changed the format in 1997, turning it into a single match between the Catalan club and an invited opponent. That structure remains in place.