Culer festival to open the season at Joan Gamper Trophy
The Joan Gamper Trophy is the traditional curtain-raiser to the FC Barcelona season. With the US Tour behind them, the squad are now preparing for Monday's first game in front of their home fans at the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys, where AS Monaco are the guests for the 8pm CEST kick-off.
But the day begins much earlier, with the stadium gates open from 6pm CEST, and the offer of a number of entertainments and live performances for all ages, as well as the presentation of the 2024/25 squad.
Those introductions will include coach Hansi Flick, who will be on the bench for his first ever home game, and also homecoming star Dani Olmo, for whom the event is doubling as his official presentation. They will be joined by all the familiar faces from last year and some impressive youngsters who have been working with the senior squad this preseason.
There are still tickets available for this year's Gamper, which is happening with less than a week to go before the start of the Liga season. which starts on Saturday 17 August with Barça travelling to Valencia.
Host of activities
The pre.game fun begins at 5.30pm CEST in the environs of the ground, including photocalls and a disc jockey in the Estrella Damm stand. From 6pm, things start happening inside the stadium too, with different games based around the team and the club's 125th anniversary, including a 'shower of shirts', a fan-cam, and music from DJ Trapella and from local band Els Catarres both before kick-off and at half-time.
But the biggest moment of all is always the official presentation, which starts at 7pm. Hans Flick and his players will be followed onto the pitch by the players, with the five captains appearing last, to be be followed by speeches and then, to cap of the day, there's the game with AS Monaco!
One thing is for certain, it's going to be a spectacular day for all concerned!
125th anniversary shirt
Something else to look forward to is seeing the players wearing the brand new 125th anniversary shirt in this game, with the logo of the celebrations appearing on the right sleeve, as presented a few months ago at an event presented by president Joan Laporta and the commissioner for the anniversary, David Carabén. It's a logo that fans will get very used to seeing this season, as it's going to appearing in all kinds of places in honour of such a landmark event.