Brighton Forced to Alter Pre-Season Tour After G7 Summit Leaves Pitches Unusable

Brighton and Hove Albion have seen their summer preparations hit an unusual snag, forcing head coach Fabian Hurzeler to alter his pre-season itinerary. The Seagulls were originally scheduled to set up camp in Evian-les-Bains, France, from July 23 to August 1, but arrived on Wednesday to discover that their designated training pitches were unusable and posed an injury risk to the squad.

Global Politics Impacts Pitch Conditions

The unexpected disruption stems from last month's G7 summit held near the Swiss border. Helicopter landings transporting international leaders, including US President Donald Trump and former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, caused substantial damage to the turf.

Fortunately for Brighton, a backup strategy was already in place to limit the operational fallout. After training at their Lancing base on Friday, the team will now travel to an alternative base in Austria on Sunday.

Fixture Changes and Upcoming Schedule

The relocation has directly impacted Brighton's match schedule. Saturday's planned friendly against French side Annecy was called off, with the squad partaking in an internal training match instead. A second fixture against Strasbourg on August 1 remains on the schedule but will be played at a different venue.

Upon returning to England, Brighton will host friendlies against Italian teams Roma and Bologna on August 8 and 15. These matches will serve as final preparation for their Conference League play-off first leg on August 20, followed three days later by their Premier League opener against Aston Villa at the Amex Stadium.

Busy Window at the Amex

The pre-season venue change comes amid a summer of significant squad reshuffling. Brighton secured the signing of Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham for an initial £46m fee, rising to £50m with add-ons. The club also completed a £20m move for Leeds defender Pascal Struijk, alongside incoming transfers for Zadok Yohanna, Costinha, Michael Svoboda, and Rodrigo Rêgo.

Outgoings include Jan Paul van Hecke's move to Tottenham, alongside departures for Diego Coppola and Jeremy Sarmiento, plus the retirement of veteran midfielder James Milner.