The holidays are almost over at Juventus. The last weekend in June will also be the last weekend of rest for most of the team. It all kicks off again next Friday, July 4th. Claudio Ranieri, his staff and all those Bianconeri that didn't recently take part in international competitions (Euro 2008 and World Cup qualifiers) will be gathering in Vinovo, ready to leave for Pinzolo the next day.
Indeed it is there, in the Val Rendena, that the summer training camp will take place, this year from the 5th to the 16th of July. In the Trentino region, the team will work as always at the Pineta ground in Pinzolo and will play two friendly matches: the first against Mezzocorona on July 11th, the second against Piacenza on the 16th, before returning to Turin.
Back at base, the second, "European" phase of the summer training schedule will begin. With the squad at full ranks by then (the internationals will be joining their team mates at different times), preparation will begin in earnest to get ready for the forthcoming European commitments, i.e. the third Champions League preliminary round, played over two games, the first on August 12/13 and the second on August 26/27. The Bianconeri will also travel extensively around Europe, from Copenhagen to Dortmund, from London to Manchester, for a series of friendlies.
As always, there'll be no shortage of prestigious summer fixtures in Italy either; among them, the TIM Trophy, played in Turin this year, the Moretti Beer Trophy and the Berlusconi Trophy.
The main focus will be on the Champions League, though. The key date is August 1st, the day when the name of Juventus' rivals for a place in the main event will be drawn (or the names of the two teams still fighting to play against Juve).
In the meantime, the 2008/09 Champions League machine is ready to start. On Tuesday July 1 it will all officially kick off with the draw for the first two preliminary rounds, set to begin already in mid-July and end in early August, right before Ranieri's team make their entrance on the European stage.
To recap, here is the calendar of Juventus' summer engagements in full:
- From July 5th to the 16th, summer training camp in Pinzolo, with two friendlies against Mezzocorona (on the 11th) and Piacenza (16th), at venues to be confirmed
- July 23rd, friendly against Brondby in Copenhagen
- July 26th, friendly against Borussia in Dortmund
- July 29th, TIM Trophy in Turin against Inter Milan and AC Milan
- August 2-3, Emirates Cup in London against Arsenal and Hamburg
- August 6th, friendly against Manchester United in Manchester
- August 12th or 13th, Champions League preliminary round first leg
- August 17th, Berlusconi Trophy in Milan against AC Milan
- August 21st, Birra Moretti Trophy in Naples against Inter Milan and Napoli
- August 26th or 27th, Champions League preliminary round second leg
- August 31st, 2008/09 Serie A Day 1
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