Celtic are off to Japan for their first pre-season back under Brendan Rodgers after cancelling the 2023 tour of South Korea. So, here is everything you need to know.
The Celtic Park natives are jetting off to the Far East for their summer schedule this year. They planned to face Premier League clubs and local teams in a homecoming for some in Celtic’s first-team squad. It is the Hoops’ first trip to Japan since 2006.
Not since Shunsuke Nakamura’s stint in Glasgow have they visited Japan. But 2023 sees Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate play for Celtic on home soil. Oh Hyeon-Gyu will not see his dream of Celtic playing in his native South Korea come real, though.
When does Celtic’s pre-season start?
Celtic returned to Lennoxtown to start their pre-season training on July 3 in 2023. Rodgers got his first look at his new players, who arrived back from their summer breaks to a heroes’ welcome. Fans flocked as the 2022/23 treble-winners returned.
Celtic’s fixture list for their 2023 pre-season tour
As of July 12, Celtic have four pre-season friendlies scheduled with two forming part of their 2023 tour of Asia. Yet the Bhoys were set to have three games in the Far East but confirmed on July 4 their withdrawal from the club’s planned trip to South Korea.
Celtic had scheduled a friendly with Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers in South Korea for July 26. But the promoter of their tour failed to meet financial and logistical obligations. So, the Hoops pulled the plug on their trip after weeks of delays.
Fans in Japan will still get to see Celtic in action before their pre-season continues in Europe. The Hoops have confirmed that they will meet Wolves in Dublin before then hosting La Liga side Athletic Bilbao at Celtic Park in James Forrest’s testimonial tie.
Celtic play twice in Japan with pre-season friendlies with J-League teams Yokohama F Marinos and Gamba Osaka. The first tie would have been a homecoming for Ange Postecoglou having left Yokohama to become Celtic’s manager back in June 2021.
Postecoglou also returned to Yokohama to sign Daizen Maeda and Tomoki Iwata. The Australian coach even also raided Gamba Osaka for Yosuke Ideguchi. But he quit the Bhoys in June 2023 to take charge of Tottenham Hotspur, leading to Rodgers’ return.
Wolves were then due to await Celtic in South Korea as the Hoops’ pre-season moved onto Oh’s home country. The Old Gold will, instead, meet the Bhoys in Dublin in their first encounter since the Molineux natives won a friendly at Celtic Park back in 2011.
- July 19, KO 11:00 BST: Celtic vs Yokohama F Marinos, Nissan Stadium, Yokohama
- July 22, KO 11:00 BST: Celtic vs Gamba Osaka, Panasonic Stadium, Suita
- July 29, KO 14:00 BST: Celtic vs Wolves, Aviva Stadium, Dublin
- August 1, KO 19:30 BST: Celtic vs Athletic Bilbao, Celtic Park, Glasgow
How to watch Celtic’s 2023 pre-season fixtures
Celtic have confirmed that fans can watch Rodgers’ first pre-season tour back as the Bhoys’ manager live exclusively worldwide on Celtic TV in 2023. But fans also require a subscription to access Celtic TV, which has both monthly and annual subscriptions.
Tickets for Celtic’s summer schedule
Tickets for Celtic’s pre-season friendly with Yokohama F Marinos are already on sale, here. Fans will also be able to buy tickets for Celtics’ pre-season friendly with Gamba Osaka via the same link. Hospitality packages are also available for the two matches.
Fans wishing to attend Forrest’s testimonial at Celtic Park against Athletic Bilbao can also already purchase tickets, here. Celtic will also donate a significant proportion of the funds raised from the fixture to Kilbryde Hospice and the Celtic FC Foundation.
Ticketmaster, meanwhile, is selling tickets for Celtic and Wolves’ pre-season friendly in Dublin, here. The game’s promotor took over the release of all tickets to the game.
On-sale dates for tickets to the Bhoys’ pre-season matches:
- May 12 at 10:00 BST: Celtic vs Yokohama F Marinos
- May 31 at 10:00 BST: Celtic vs Gamba Osaka
- June 12 at 14:00 BST: Celtic vs Athletic Bilbao
- July 13 at 09:00 BST: Celtic vs Wolves
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