Chelsea’s managerial situation is not the only one that hangs unresolved. Our preseason schedule has had to be ripped up due to a combination of (semi-)competitive fixture developments as well as an apparent mistake by the ICC organizers — the latter according to a report published by Daily Mail.
Chelsea’s previously announced preseason schedule was as follows:
- July 23: vs. Perth Glory in Perth, Australia
- July 28: vs. Sevilla in Warsaw, Poland
- August 1: vs. Internazionale in Gothenburg, Sweden
- August 4: vs. Arsenal in Stockholm, Sweden
Out of these fixtures, only the first one remains set in stone, which is good because that’s been planned for well over a year now — not to mention, it’s quite a long trip to the other side of the world, and just a week after the World Cup final.
The other three previously scheduled fixtures — all part of the 2018 International Champions Cup summer pseudo-tournament — will have to be moved or flat out canceled.
By virtue of finishing 7th in La Liga (and losing to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final), Sevilla have only qualified for the Europa League’s Second Qualifying Round, which means they have to play on July 26 and August 2, leaving very little room to squeeze in a friendly against Chelsea on the 28th. At best, this game probably will be rescheduled (new venue and/or time), but due to Sevilla’s already ridiculously busy early-season schedule, there’s a decent chance it ends up being canceled.