Premier League champions Leicester City will play six pre-season matches before the new season begins as Claudio Ranieri’s men look to go full gear in their bid to retain the EPL crown. This year will see Leicester City going up against big European clubs in the International Champions Cup. They start their preparations for next season with a match against Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford on 19 July.
It was a rag to riches story for the Foxes last season. The champions who had barely survived relegation in 2015, went on to win the EPL crown the following year, finishing 10 points ahead of second placed Arsenal. To compete and win with only a small fraction of the budget of the big clubs in the league, Claudio Ranieri’s men showed fans all over the world that there is nothing you cannot achieve if one really wants it.
This season, however, will be different for Leicester. Expectations will be high, but very few expect them to do it once again, especially with the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte coming into the fray. Ranieri will have to organise his team better than ever and hope that they can scale the same heights they did last season.
Leicester play their first match in the International Champions Cup against Irish giants Celtic FC at Celtic Park in Glasgow on 23 July. Last year, Leicester’s build up in pre-season matches was steady. They played against lower league sides and gradually played tougher opponents. This year, they’ll play Celtic FC in the ICC which will test the player’s fitness and stamina after a long season.
Leicester then travel 5000 miles to California in the United States to play against French champions Paris Saint-Germain at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA on 30 July. This is a huge match for Leicester in terms of both increasing the fan base and playing against a top European team. Leicester City will gain much-needed experience in tackling an opponent of this stature which will help them greatly in their Champions League exploits this year.
Leicester play Chesterfield at the Proact Stadium on 2 August which is likely to feature fringe players and academy products as they play another match in another country the very next day. It will be a good opportunity for the youngsters to show their talent and bid for a place in the senior team.
The next match Leicester play will be against Spanish champions Barcelona on 3 August at the Friends Arena in Stockholm. Champions from the two best leagues in the world will meet in this match where Leicester will be hoping to learn a trick or two from the world-class players playing for the Catalan outfit. It is one match which will be memorable for Leicester players and fans and could give them a boost going into the new season.
Leicester City conclude their pre-season with the FA Community Shield against Manchester United on 7 August. Jose Mourinho, who will be managing Manchester United, lost 2-1 against Leicester which culminated in the termination of his contract prematurely. The FA Community Shield is the first trophy that England offers in the season and the Foxes will be hoping to get hold of it on their journey to an exciting season ahead.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Kick-off (IST) |
| 19 July | Oxford United | Kassam Stadium, Oxford | TBD |
| 23 July | Celtic FC | Celtic Park, Glasgow | 10:00 pm |
| 31 July | Paris Saint-Germain | StubHub Center, Carson CA | 09:00 am |
| 2 August | Chesterfield | Proact Stadium | TBD |
| 3 August | Barcelona | Friends Arena, Stockholm | 11:30 pm |
| 7 August | Manchester United | Wembley Stadium, London | 08:30 pm |
