Celtic to play Sporting Club in Portugal then Como and Ajax in Italy

Cesc Fabregas is the manager at Serie A side Como and his influence brought Alex Valle’s season long loan to a premature close in the January window. The loan was instead moved to Como before Fabregas took up the £5m option to buy in Alex Valle’s Barcelona contract to being the talented young left back to Como on a permanent basis.

So rather than worrying about the cost of posting Valle’s Scottish Premiership medal to Italy, Brendan can just deliver it in person after Celtic, according to a report in Scottish Sun, accepted an invitation to participate in Como’s min–tournament in July.

Celtic’s pre-season is certainly takin shape. The action begins in Ireland against Cork City on Tuesday 8 July before the Hoops fly to a training camp in Portugal and a match against Sporting Club down in Faro. Celtic will return to Glasgow on 17 July and then will take on Newcastle United at Celtic Park two days later, as Eddie Howe finally gets to see Paradise.

After that there’s been a gap in the schedule ahead of Flag Day at Celtic Park in early August. So it’s off to Como which is in the North of Italy or a three team tournament involving the hosts Como, Celtic and our old Dutch rivals Ajax with Celtic playing matches on Thursday 24 and Saturday 26 July before return to Lennoxtown for a week’s preparation for the start of the Premiership campaign as Brendan Rodgers targets a 56th title for the club.

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