Posts Tagged ‘europa-league’

Full guide to pre-season fixtures

Your team-by-team guide to all the key pre-season fixtures for this summer

All times listed are BST

Arsenal

Malaysia All-Stars XI (A), 13 July, 1.45pm

Hangzhou Greentown (A), 16 July, 12.30pm

Cologne (A), 23 July, 2.30pm

Boca Juniors (H), 30 July, 4.20pm

New York Red Bulls (H), 31 July, 4.20pm

Benfica (A), 6 August, TBC

Aston Villa

Walsall (A), 21 July, TBC

Blackburn (N), 27 July, 6.00pm

Chelsea/Kitchee FC (N), 30 July, TBC

Derby (A), 3 August, TBC

Braga (A), 6 August

Blackburn Rovers

Accrington Stanley (A), 16 July, 12.00pm

Morecambe (A), 16 July, 3.00pm

Aston Villa (N), 27 July, 6.00pm

Chelsea/Kitchee FC (N), 30 July, TBC

Kilmarnock (A), 6 August, 3.00pm

Bolton Wanderers

FC Tampa Bay (A), 14 July

Orlando SC (A), 17 July

Bradford City (A), 24 July, 3.00pm

Bury (A), 27 July, 7.45pm

Hereford (A), 1 August, 7.45pm

Levante (H), 5 August

Chelsea

Portsmouth (A), 16 July, 3.00pm

Malaysia All-Stars XI (A), 21 July, 12.45pm

Thailand All-Stars (A), 24 July, 10.45am

Kitchee (A), 27 July

Rangers (A), 6 August, 3.00pm

Everton

Bury (A), 15 July, 7.45pm

Philadelphia Union (H), 20 July, TBC

DC United (A), 23 July, TBC

Birmingham (A), 30 July, 3.00pm

Werder Bremen (A), 2 August

Villarreal (H), 5 August

Fulham

NSI Runavik (H), 30 June, 7.30pm (Europa League)

NSI Runavik (A), 7 July, 6.45pm (Europa League)

AFC Wimbledon (A), 9 July, 3.00pm

Stevenage (A), 17 July, 3.00pm

Liverpool

Guangdong (A), 13 July, 1.00pm

Malaysia All-Stars (A), 16 July, 10.45am

Hull (A), 23 July, TBC

Valerenga (A), 1 August, 5.00pm

Valencia (H), 6 August, 5.30pm

Manchester City

Club America (A), 16 July, 12.00pm

Vancouver Whitecaps (A), 18 July, 11.00am

LA Galaxy (A), 24 July, 5.00am

Irish XI (A), 30 July, TBC

Internazionale, 31 July, TBC

Manchester United (N), 7 August, 3.00pm (Community Shield)

Manchester United

New England Revolution (A), 13 July, 11.00pm

Seattle (A), 21 July, 3.00am

Chicago Fire (A), 23 July, 10.00pm

MLS All-Stars (A), 28 July, 1.30am

Barcelona (A), 30 July, 6.00pm

New York Cosmos (H), 5 August, 7.30pm

Manchester City (N), 7 August, 3.00pm (Community Shield)

Newcastle United

Darlington (A), 15 July, 7.45pm

Sporting Kansas (A), 20 July, TBC

Orlando City (A), 23 July, TBC

Columbus Crew (A), 26 July, TBC

Leeds United (A), 31 July, 2.00pm

Fiorentina (H), 6 August, TBC

Norwich City

Gorleston (A), 16 July, 3.00pm

Crystal Palace (A), 26 July, 7.30pm

Southend United (A), 28 July, 7.30pm

Coventry City (A), 30 July, 3.00pm

Real Zaragoza (H), 3 August, 7.30pm

Parma (H), 6 August, 3.00pm

Queens Park Rangers

Harrow Borough (A), 15 July, 7.15pm

Tavistock (A), 18 July, 7.00pm

Plymouth Argyle (A), 20 July, 7.45pm

Bodmin Town (A), 22 July, 7.15pm

Crawley Town (A), 2 August, 7.45pm

Stoke City

Newport County (A), 16 July, 3.00pm

Newport YMCA (A), 17 July, 2.00pm

Brentford (A), 22 July, 7.45pm

Aldershot (A), 23 July, 3.00pm

Sheffield Wednesday (A), 30 July, 1.00pm

Sunderland

York City (A), 13 July, 7.30pm

Arminia Bielefeld (A), 17 July, 2.00pm

Hannover 96 (A), 20 July, 6.00pm

Borussia Mönchengladbach (A), 23 July, 2.00pm

Burnley (A), 30 July, 3.00pm

Hibernian (A), 6 August, 3.00pm

Swansea

Real Betis (H), 6 August, 3.00pm

Tottenham Hotspur

Kaizer Chiefs (A), 16 July, 3.00pm

Orlando Pirates (A), 19 July, 8.15pm

Barnet (A), 23 July, 3.00pm

MK Dons (A), 26 July, 7.30pm

Brighton (A), 30 July, 3.00pm

Athletic Bilbao (H), 6 August, 5.15pm

West Bromwich Albion

San Jose (A), 16 July

Ventura Fusion (A), 17 July

Portland (A), 21 July

Rochdale (A), 26 July

Bristol City (A), 30 July, 3.00pm

Parma (H), 7 August, 3.00pm

Wigan Athletic

Boston (A), 23 July

Barrow (A), 26 July

Colwyn Bay (A), 30 July

Preston (A), 31 July

Marine (A), 2 Aug

Villarreal (H), 7 August, 4.00pm

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Crewe Alexandra (H), 16 July, 7.45pm

Walsall (A), 19 July

Shrewsbury (A), 22 July, 7.30pm

Notts County (A), 23 July

Ipswich (A), 30 July

Real Zaragoza (H), 6 August, 3.00pm

Celtic

Central Coast Mariners (A), 2 July, 10.30am

Perth Glory (A), 9 July, 10.00am

Melbourne Victory (A), 13 July, 10.30am

Rangers

Linfield (A), 16 July, 2.00pm

Blackpool (H), 19 July, 7.30pm

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Tottenham keen to finish fifth to avoid Europa League aggro

• ‘Fair play’ league offers Spurs alternative route into Europe
• But early qualification games would threaten pre-season tour

Harry Redknapp has an answer for anyone who fears that Tottenham Hotspur’s ambivalence towards the Europa League could give Birmingham City, who play at White Hart Lane on Sunday, a vital edge in the relegation battle. The answer is that Tottenham will be determined to win and secure fifth place because failure to do so risks sabotaging their plans for the summer and beyond.

Redknapp’s worry is that if Tottenham do not finish fifth they will end up in the Europa League anyway, and with a much more onerous schedule. That is because England has been awarded an additional place in the tournament due to English clubs’ good disciplinary record this season and the place will be assigned to the team that tops the Premier League ‘fair play’ table. Given that Chelsea occupy that spot and are already in the Champions League, the next best, either Tottenham or Fulham, will inherit the spot.

Whichever team qualifies by that route must begin their campaign in the first preliminary round, which kicks off in late June, a month before the campaign of the team that qualifies by finishing fifth. Erring against Birmingham could therefore disrupt Tottenham’s pre-season plans and jeopardise a tour to South Africa. “Our preparations for next season are all up in the air at the moment,” said Redknapp. “We don’t want to be in the fair play thing because we’d be back playing in June, so even our pre-season would get messed up. We’re off to South Africa in the summer and I don’t know what would happen with that.”

Redknapp also wants as much time as possible this summer to recruit players. His priority is at least one striker plus “one or two strong characters” with experience of the Premier League. Many Tottenham supporters would also like him to buy a new goalkeeper in light of Heurelho Gomes’s many costly errors this season but, publicly at least, the manager insists he retains full confidence in the Brazilian. “I think he’s made saves that he’s had no right to make, some incredible saves that only a keeper of his quality could make,” said Redknapp. “Sometimes things happen with goalkeepers. Look at the Schalke goalkeeper [Manuel Neuer], who everyone in the world is trying to buy – he made mistakes against Manchester United [in the Champions League semi-final second leg] that you would not have seen in lower league football. It happens to all ‘keepers.”

Rumours persist, nevertheless, that Redknapp has been looking for replacements and he was vague when asked about reported interest in Birmingham’s Ben Foster and Manchester City’s Shay Given. His reply to suggestions that he was keen on signing Brad Friedel, whose contract at Aston Villa expires in the summer, was intriguing. “He’s a very good keeper, but there are a few clubs in for him. Liverpool are in for him, West Brom too. It’s interesting. We’ll have to see where we go.”

Only Liverpool can deny Tottenham a place in the Europa League and their manager, Kenny Dalglish, is already focusing on improvements he can make to the team over the summer.

“I don’t think we need to reflect, I think we need to sit down and have conversations with people we trust both for their integrity and judgment in football,” he said. “We could sit and reflect but we know most of the answers now.”

Dalglish joked that signing a three-year-contract last week had not done him any favours in terms of results, having lost to Tottenham last Sunday.

And he said it was not evenmuch benefit in terms of helping the club move forward as plans had already been put in place for next season before his position was confirmed. “The planning was going on anyway, irrespective of who was coming in because you can’t leave it until the last minute,” he added.

“For training and some of the pre-season matches, planning had to be done. “If you’re sitting in this chair you’ve got to make the decision about what you want to do and when you want to train.But regarding players, there’s only one person who can decide that, and that’s the manager.

“That’s something we need to come to terms with and get our skates on with to make sure we get to the right players.”

Tottenham HotspurBirmingham CityPremier LeagueEuropa LeagueHarry RedknappLiverpoolKenny DalglishPaul Doyleguardian.co.uk

I will be at Anfield next season, says Liverpool’s Pepe Reina

• Goalkeeper says he has no thoughts of leaving
• ‘We are heading in the right direction under Dalglish’

The Liverpool goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, says his future is at Anfield and believes the club is heading in the “right direction” under the management of Kenny Dalglish.

When Dalglish, who yesterday signed a three-year contract to become permanent manager, was brought in on an initial temporary basis in January to replace the sacked Roy Hodgson, the situation at Anfield looked bleak. Liverpool were 12th in the Premier League, only four points above the relegation zone.

Fernando Torres then secured his £50million transfer to Chelsea, and it appeared his Spain team-mate Reina would be next out of the door.

But, in just over four months, the 28-year-old goalkeeper has been persuaded by results on the pitch and a change in atmosphere he can still fulfil his ambitions at Anfield.

“I am looking forward to next season. I have always said [that] – of course there was a bit of doubt back in December and January because we were not even close to where we are now,” said Reina.

“We have had excellent news on Kenny’s contract, Steve Clarke’s [who also signed a three-year deal] and all of the technical staff. We are heading in the right direction and we are optimistic.

“I think by making the right steps and taking them, we can all see the difference between now and then.

“That’s why we are now optimistic about the future and are looking forward.”

Liverpool are now fifth in the table and victory over Tottenham on Sunday at Anfield will secure Europa League football for next season.

Liverpool’s recent form has prompted talk of Liverpool being able to mount a title challenge next season – a scenario which would have been met with ridicule at the turn of the year.

Reina is confident they will improve but will not get carried away.

“We have to be calm because we know how hard it is to compete with the big teams out there,” he added.

“Fifth position is not the one that belongs to Liverpool, we aim higher and hopefully next season we can finish higher.

“We are all looking forward to next season, but we have to finish the job on Sunday.

“By winning we will mathematically be sure of fifth and that is our target – to beat Tottenham, make sure we get into Europe for next season and then get some rest, which I think we deserve as well.”

LiverpoolKenny Dalglishguardian.co.uk