Real Betis Begins Pre-Season in Germany Ahead of Champions League Return

Spanish football club Real Betis is kicking off its pre-season preparations under the guidance of Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini. The team will spend ten days in Harsewinkel, Germany, near Bielefeld, from July 10th to July 18th, marking the start of their seventh pre-season campaign with Pellegrini at the helm.

This upcoming season holds particular significance as Betis returns to the Champions League after a 21-year hiatus. The German training camp is the first of several stages in their preparation, which includes subsequent stays in Seville, Marbella, and Dublin. The club has confirmed six friendly matches as part of their build-up to the new season.

The initial friendly match is scheduled for July 18th against Sportfreunde Lotte, a team from Germany's fourth-tier Regionalliga West. Further friendlies in July include matchups against Recreativo de Huelva (July 22nd) and Granada (July 25th), followed by Olympique de Lyon on July 29th. August fixtures include Arsenal on the 5th and Bournemouth on the 8th, just a week before their league opener against Valencia at Mestalla.

Regarding the squad, Uruguayan midfielder Facundo Bernal is the only confirmed new signing so far, joining from Brazilian club Fluminense on a contract until 2031. Several players have returned from loan spells, including Gonzalo Petit, Iker Losada, and Guilherme Fernandes. Meanwhile, Moroccan forward Ez Abde and Brazilian winger Antony dos Santos have received extended leave or permission to attend to personal matters, with Antony expected to join the German camp later. Other players like Alvaro Fidalgo, Cucho Hernández, and Giovani Lo Celso are not participating in the initial stages.