Before facing Al-Ahly: Barcelona consider playing a friendly in Morocco

Are the opponents Arab?

Barcelona are stepping up their pre-season preparations under Hansi Flick, exploring the possibility of a friendly in Morocco. The Blaugrana squad flew to England on Monday to begin their training camp at St George's Park.

According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", Flick will use this camp to intensify the physical and tactical work with a squad going through decisive weeks before the season kicks off.

His aim is clear: strengthen the team's tactical cohesion and speed up the integration of the new signings.

Almost all available first-team players made the trip, alongside a large number of academy prospects.

New arrival Karim Adeyemi stood out among the travelling party, along with Ronald Araujo, back after the World Cup, and Fermin Lopez, who continues his rehabilitation programme to recover within the group's dynamic.

Frenkie de Jong and Marc-Andre ter Stegen both featured on the list despite their particular circumstances. Brazilian Raphinha will join up midweek once his holiday ends.

Off the training pitch, Barcelona are continuing to firm up their schedule of friendlies. Journalist Achraf Ben Ayad confirmed the Catalan club is weighing up a new preparatory match in Morocco before LaLiga gets underway.

The move carries both sporting and commercial weight. Barcelona enjoy a huge fan base in North Africa, and a friendly on Moroccan soil would boost their international presence while generating fresh revenue for the club's coffers.

Neither the opponent nor the date has been confirmed. The club's sporting management and commercial team are working to find a suitable slot in an extremely crowded schedule, with talks set to continue over the coming days, according to Ben Ayad.

While that decision hangs in the balance, Flick's side are focused on the fixtures already locked in. They will wrap up their England camp with two friendlies: Birmingham City on 31 July and Preston North End on 3 August.

Barcelona then head to Italy for a triangular tournament in Udine on 8 August, facing Nottingham Forest and Udinese, before rounding off their preparations with the Joan Gamper Trophy against Al Ahly on 19 August.