Barcelona vs Como
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona conclude their pre-season preparations when they meet Cesc Fabregas’ Como in the 2025 Joan Gamper Trophy to be played at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, but that’s another story for this Club Friendly.
This showcase is the Catalans’ traditional season opener and has been since 1966 in honour of Joan Gamper, a founding member, player, and president of the Blaugrana. Initially, it was a four-team competition, with three top European clubs invited, but this century, it has been a one-match only curtain-raiser with Serie A club Como the chosen team this season.
It’s a homecoming for former Barcelona star Fabregas, who is now forging a career as a manager, having taken Como to promotion in 2024 for their first visit to Serie A in 21 years. Last year, Como finished 10th in the Italian top-flight, investing heavily to push on towards a European spot, and this game gives Fabregas’ men a sampler of what may be their future.
Last season, Barca lost 3-0 to French side AS Monaco, a first loss in 12 years, but it was the precursor to a phenomenal domestic campaign. Flick’s men won’t be throwing this one, though.
Both teams come into the game on the back of a good pre-season, each with a 100-per cent record so far.
Camp Nou is not ready, but Barca are
The Blaugrana were hoping to have their stadium, the newly developed 110,000-seater Camp Nou, ready for this showcase on Sunday 10th August, but the best-laid plans have not delivered. The club’s slow compliance with Ordinance Regulating Municipal Intervention Procedures in Construction Works has been partly blamed for the delay, and there was still extensive work to be done last week. The new target date is in mid-September, hopefully for the visit by Valencia. The club has been at pains to make clear that this delay will not impact on Barcelona’s already complicated financial situation. Nevertheless, this game has been switched to the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, in on-pitch matters, the club president Joan Laporta has said that the signing of England star Marcus Rashford from Manchester United, Barca’s third recruit of the summer, will conclude the club’s dealings before the start of the campaign. Rashford followed highly rated keeper Joan Garcia and young striker Roony Bardghji into the club, and they join an array of talent which includes Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Gavi, Raphinha, and the legendary Robert Lewandowski. Another Blaugrana star, Dani Olmo, has taken a dig at Real Madrid, saying that Barca’s summer dealings have been smarter than Los Blancos. The SBOTOP Club Friendly 2025 betting odds say we’re in for another cracking battle between the El Clasico pair, with big-spending Atletico Madrid also threatening to gatecrash the party.
Big-spending Como are ambitious
While Barcelona have been fairly calm in their dealings, Como have been splashing the cash, and Fabregas has already brought €100 million worth of talent through the door this summer, with the biggest outlay on creative players.
Left winger Jesus Rodriguez has arrived from Real Betis for €22.5 million, while, on the opposite flank, another winger, Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn, has flown in from Scottish club Celtic for a fee of €19 million. In addition, Dinamo Zagreb’s attacking midfielder Martin Baturina has arrived for €18 million alongside another winger in Jayden Addai, for €14 million. Then, Fabregas has gone to Manchester City for a defencive midfielder in the shape of Maximo Perrone, who cost a cool €14 million.
And in the latest Club Friendly 2025 news, Como are reported to be inching closer to the signing of 32-year-old Spain striker Alvaro Morata, who has been on loan from AC Milan to Galatasaray. The Turkish club will be entitled to compensation if Como can pull this deal off, but it would be a great coup for Fabregas if they can.
I’m not sure Como are ready to join the big boys of Serie A quite yet, but they are certainly showing some serious intention to build on last term’s mid-table finish.
And they seem to have plenty of fight in them, too. Como’s last outing, a friendly, by name only, against another La Liga side, Real Betis, descended into chaos as, during the 3-2 win for Fabregas’ team, punches were thrown along with a sprinkling of slaps, as the two teams totally lost their minds at the end of the first half.
New recruit Perrone seemed to have done or said something to upset former West Ham United star Pablo Fornals, and after a bit of pushing and shoving, Fornals threw a punch.
It isn’t clear whether Fornal’s shot actually landed, as players from both sides waded in, and the situation reached farcical proportions when Betis player Cucho Hernandez piled in and aimed a punch, only to connect with teammate Natan.
So bring on the Joan Gamper Trophy. This could be a lot of fun.
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