Unai Emery will be in charge of Paris Saint-Germain for the first time when they take on West Bromwich Albion in a pre-season friendly match on July 12 in Schladming in Austria. This pre-season will see them travelling to the United States for the International Champions Cup as a part of their preparation where new boss Emery will hope to lay the groundwork for the upcoming season.
The story in Parc des France last season as similar to a couple of seasons preceding it. They completed the domestic treble last season, but yet again, failed to deliver on the European stage. They were knocked out in the Quarter-finals of the Champions League by English side Manchester City.
Head coach Laurent Blanc was relieved of his duties and three-time Europa League winning Sevilla manager Unai Emery was hired as his replacement.
Before the game against West Bromwich Albion in pre-season, they have a training camp in Austria from 8 July at the Athletic Area Schladming Stadium in Schladming, Austria. The Parisians then travel to America to take part in the International Champions Cup which will see a host of other high-profile clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich taking part.
Paris Saint-Germain will kick start their International Champions Cup with a match against Italian side Inter Milan on 24 July at the Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. The two sides faced each other in a mid-season friendly in December in Doha which ended with PSG taking the honours by winning by a solitary goal. The match will be a good testing ground for coach Emery to lay down plans and get the players up to the required fitness.
Les Rouge-et-Bleu then take on Champions League winners Real Madrid in a high profile match on 28 July at the Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Both the teams will be looking for domestic and European glory in the upcoming season new coach, Unai Emery will know everything about Real Madrid’s tactics after having served at Sevilla for three years. The match promises to be an exciting encounter though both teams have little to play for.
Unai Emery’s men conclude their International Champions Cup saga with a match against newly crowned EPL champions Leicester City on 31 July. It has been a fairytale ride for the English champions so far and they will hope to continue it to next season.
The first competitive outing of the season will follow in the Trophée des Champions tie against Lyon on 6 August in Klagenfurt, Austria.
Emery’s job in pre-season will be to build a rapport with the new players and integrate his style of play into the team. The progress in pre-season might well decide how far Paris Saint- Germain go in next season’s Champions League.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Kick-off (IST) |
| 13 July | West Bromwich Albion | Athletic Area Schladming Stadium, Schladming | 09:00 pm |
| 25 July | Inter Milan | Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon | 02:30 am |
| 28 July | Real Madrid | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohia | 05:00 am |
| 31 July | Leicester City | StubHub Center, Carson, CA | 09:00 am |
