DUBLIN’S AVIVA STADIUM will host a pre-season friendly between Barcelona and Celtic as part of the International Champions Cup this summer.
The game will be played at Lansdowne Road on Saturday 30 July while Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool may also face Barcelona in the capital a week later, although a venue has yet to be confirmed for that fixture.
The schedule for the International Champions Cup, an annual pre-season tournament involving 13 clubs, was announced this afternoon in New York.
Premier League sides Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool and league leaders Leicester are all involved in 2016.
Celtic and Liverpool previously met in a pre-season friendly at the Aviva Stadium in 2013 while the Scottish champions, Man City and Inter Milan all featured in the ‘Dublin Super Cup’ in 2011.
The game is sure to be a big attraction for fans in Ireland with Celtic boasting a large following here. In addition, the visit of Barcelona, with global icons such as Lionel Messi and Neymar in their ranks, will prove hugely popular.
The Spanish giants’ last visit to Ireland was over a decade ago when they faced Derry City at the Brandywell.
A proposed friendly against Limerick in Thomond Park six years ago was controversially blocked by the FAI.
It’s not yet known when a venue for Barcelona’s clash with Liverpool will be confirmed with Dublin a potential host city.
A kick-off time and ticket details for Celtic’s meeting with the European champions have yet to be released by tournament organisers.
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