AS Monaco opponents for Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona in the 59th edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy
AS Monaco will be FC Barcelona’s opponents in the 59th Joan Gamper Trophy game in what will be Hansi Flick’s first home game as Barça coach. The game against Les Rouge et Blanc will be Barça’s opening fixture of the season at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Monday 12 August at 8pm CEST and the game will be broadcast live on Barça One.
The runners-up in Ligue 1 last season will be Barça’s final opponents of preseason following on from the three games in the USA on the summer tour. The blaugranes’ first official match of the season comes against Valencia in La Liga on Saturday 17 August.
First ever appearance
This season will see Monaco’s first ever appearance in the Joan Gamper Trophy game and the fifth by a French league men’s side (Montpellier played in the women’s Gamper game in 2022). Previous opponents from France have been Nantes in 1966, the first ever edition of the preseason tournament, Sochaux in 1989, Olympique Marseilles in 1991 and Girondins Bordeaux in 1993, all in the previous format of a four-team tournament.
Possible opponents in the Champions League and centenary year
AS Monaco, coached by the Austrian Adi Hütter, had a great 2023/24 season, qualifying for the Champions League after missing out the previous year. The Ligue 1 side could face Barça in the competition under its new format which starts on 17-19 September. The 2024/25 season will be a special one for the Monegasque club as on 23 August 2024 they will be celebrating their 100th birthday.
Familiar foes
Hansi Flick is in his first season as Barça coach with his opposite number Adi Hütter in his second in charge of AS Monaco. The two bosses have, however, faced each other on four previous occasions in the Bundesliga when Flick was Bayer Munich coach and Hütter was at Eintract Frankfurt. The new blaugrana boss came out on top in three of those four matches, losing just once with Robert Lewandowski scoring a hat-trick in one 5-0 win for Bayern Munich.
Fourth Gamper at Montjuïc in 125th year
The 59th Gamper Trophy will be the fourth at Montjuïc after last season’s game and the editions in 1990 and 1996. This season’s match will carry special significance as it comes in the year the Club celebrates its 125th anniversary.