Barcelona Likely To Cancel Plans Of Playing Joan Gamper Trophy Match In Switzerland
Come August, Barcelona will host the upcoming edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy and the chances of it being played at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic are said to be gaining weight.
According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, due to the renovation of the Spotify Camp Nou, the initial plan was to play the Joan Gamper Trophy match in Switzerland.
The St. Jakob Stadium in Basel, Switzerland, was identified as the likely destination, with a profit of €1.5 million being forecasted from the move.
While the dates of the competition are still being evaluated, the management has grown fond of the idea that it can be played at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium after all.
Now, although Barcelona have asked La Liga to play the first three league games of the next season away from home, the management believes that playing the Joan Gamper Trophy in Montjuic can serve as a general rehearsal for the team as the venue is supposed to act as their home ground until November 2024.
Interestingly enough, Barcelona will not play at home until the first or second week of September before an extended international break and even the UEFA Champions League group stage will not kick off until September 19.
It must be noted that ever since its first edition in 1966, the Joan Gamper Trophy has never been played outside of Catalonia. Only thrice in its history has the game been played outside Camp Nou – twice at the Montjuic in 1990 and 1996 and once at the Johan Cruyff Stadium in 2021.
This year, however, the team was evaluating whether or not they can play it in Switzerland, but with Montjuic expected to be ready by early August, it has given them a perfect opportunity to test the field.
The history of the Joan Gamper Trophy dates back to 1966 when Barcelona defeated German side FC Koln in the first-ever final. Over the years, the Bluagrana have been the most successful team in history, having won the title a whopping 45 times.
In fact, since Sampdoria’s victory in 2012, Barça have won each of the last 10 editions.
