And so it begins again!
A week after pre-season started in earnest, Barca have travelled to Japan for the delights of the Rakuten Cup, with Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side their first test of the 19/20 campaign.
Without many of their most experienced exponents, Ernesto Valverde will at least be able to run the rule over some fringe and Barca B players, and with that in mind, the west Londoners are likely to provide a stern test.
Lampard’s appointment has raised a few eyebrows, but there are parallels with Pep Guardiola being handed the reins at the Camp Nou back in 2008.