anthony gordon headlines Birmingham City's home meeting with Barcelona at St Andrew's on Friday, 31 July. Birmingham will use the friendly against the Spanish champions and five-time European champions as part of its build-up to the new Championship season.
Jeremy Dale on Barcelona
Jeremy Dale said Barcelona had chosen to kick off their pre-season campaign with Birmingham City, adding: "Barcelona are a powerhouse of world football and have chosen to kick-off their pre-season campaign with us,"
He also said: "People are seeing that there is an exciting story unfolding here." Hosting one of the most iconic teams in the world, with such a rich history and global following, is a fantastic opportunity as Birmingham builds towards the new season.
St Andrew's and the league schedule
The timing gives Birmingham a notable home fixture before the Championship starts on the weekend of 14-16 August. The league fixtures will be published on Thursday, 25 June, and this match arrives before that release.
St Andrew's has been a difficult ground for visiting league sides. Birmingham lost only three league games at home last season, a record that gives the Barcelona visit a sharper edge than a typical summer exhibition.
Barcelona's old edge
The clubs have met five times before, and every one of those games came in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Barcelona won the 1960 final 4-1 on aggregate, the last time the sides shared a stage.
That history is limited, but the setting is not. Birmingham now gets a rare chance to test itself at home against a club with Barcelona's record before the new campaign begins.
