Published 10 August 2026 4 min read
St Georges Park
European Giants Choose St. George’s Park for Pre-Season
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Some of Europe’s biggest football clubs and many of the game’s elite talents have enjoyed pre-season training camps at St. George’s Park this summer.
FC Barcelona, Valencia CF, FC Porto, AS Monaco, SC Braga, Genoa CFC, Sheffield Wednesday and Northampton Town all spent time at England Football's national football centre, using the site's world-class training facilities throughout a six-week period.
Alongside the clubs' training camps, six behind-closed-doors fixtures were staged on site, while St. George's Park also hosted a Premier League U18 tournament and welcomed more than 400 young participants for the Premier League Kicks finals.
Outside of football, players competing in LIV Golf also accessed St. George’s Park’s leading performance and recovery facilities to support their preparation for forthcoming competitions.
Across the summer, clubs accumulated more than 120 hours on the pitches, with over 240 players training at the venue.
Alongside the clubs' training camps, six behind-closed-doors fixtures were staged on site, while St. George's Park also hosted a Premier League U18 tournament and welcomed more than 400 young participants for the Premier League Kicks finals.
Outside of football, players competing in LIV Golf also accessed St. George’s Park’s leading performance and recovery facilities to support their preparation for forthcoming competitions.
Across the summer, clubs accumulated more than 120 hours on the pitches, with over 240 players training at the venue.
17 Aug 2026
1min
FC Barcelona visit St. George's Park for 2026 pre-season
European giants FC Barcelona visited St. George's Park in the summer of 2006, using the home of England's teams as a base for their preparations for the 2026-27 La Liga season.
Hansi Flick, Head Coach of FC Barcelona, commented: “It’s one of the best pre-seasons I’ve ever had.”
“A great experience to be here. The conditions here were fantastic, [we were based] very close to the pitch and everything, and the pitches were amazing.”
Kevin Sanders, St. George’s Park’s Commercial Development Manager, said: “To welcome clubs such as Barcelona, Valencia, Porto and Monaco, host over 240 elite players and see demand exceed capacity shows just how far our Elite Football Programme has come.
“What makes me most proud is that the feedback isn't just about the world-class pitches and facilities, it's about the people. Our teams (Commercial Development, SGP Operations, SGP Grounds, Security and Hotel) work tirelessly every day to create an environment where clubs can focus solely on performance.
“When managers such as Hansi Flick describe it as one of the best pre-seasons they've experienced. It's a fantastic endorsement of the experience we strive to provide for every team that visits.”
“A great experience to be here. The conditions here were fantastic, [we were based] very close to the pitch and everything, and the pitches were amazing.”
Kevin Sanders, St. George’s Park’s Commercial Development Manager, said: “To welcome clubs such as Barcelona, Valencia, Porto and Monaco, host over 240 elite players and see demand exceed capacity shows just how far our Elite Football Programme has come.
“What makes me most proud is that the feedback isn't just about the world-class pitches and facilities, it's about the people. Our teams (Commercial Development, SGP Operations, SGP Grounds, Security and Hotel) work tirelessly every day to create an environment where clubs can focus solely on performance.
“When managers such as Hansi Flick describe it as one of the best pre-seasons they've experienced. It's a fantastic endorsement of the experience we strive to provide for every team that visits.”
