Barcelona fans will be taken on a trip down memory lane next month when Como 1907 arrive in Catalonia with plenty of familiar faces to contest the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy.
The upwardly mobile Serie A side is led by former Barcelona academy graduate Cesc Fàbregas and counts ex-Blaugrana skipper Sergi Roberto as one of their key midfielders. The two Catalans made a combined 524 appearances for Barcelona’s first team—including 22 alongside each other.
They will not, however, be returning to Camp Nou. Despite triumphant declarations to the contrary, Barcelona’s spiritual home will not be able to stage the signature preseason friendly.
Rather than return to the divisive setting of the Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc—which has never been truly loved even in the face of recent domestic success—Como will line up against Hansi Flick’s side at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, the frequent home of the women’s team.
