John Mousinho has explained why Pompey’s preseason trip to Croatia will not include a friendly.
For the first time in three years, travelling Blues fans will be unable to see their club play while on tour abroad.
Last summer, Mousinho’s team was located at La Cala Resort in Malaga, southern Spain, and played a friendly against Gibraltar club Europa FC. The previous year, under Danny Cowley, they faced Qatar SC in the Pinatar Arena Football Center in Murcia, Spain.
Pompey will spend the summer in Pula, Croatia, from July 6 to July 12, despite the fact that no matches are scheduled. And Mousinho has made a decision that has offended some fans.
He spoke to The News: “We felt last year it was just a little too hot in the south of Spain.” We had some training sessions, but they were early in the morning, so we couldn’t do anything in the afternoon.The facility and hotel were excellent, but the weather was too hot for the elite environment and camp we hoped to create.
‘So we decided to take it somewhere with more realistic temperatures for when we return to the UK in July and August. That was the rationale behind Croatia, and we believe it will be a very beneficial trip.
‘We tried to schedule a game, but there are a lot more issues in other nations, such as Croatia. It became extremely difficult, both administratively and logistically, to police.
‘Countries like Portugal and Spain are better prepared and more accustomed to having teams from the United Kingdom visit, so this was not an easy task.
‘In some ways, the game is perhaps better for us because it does not interfere with our training. We’ll probably be able to train harder out there because we won’t have to worry about taking time off for a match.
To compensate for the lack of a friendly on their tour, the Blues are inviting supporters to an open training session in Croatia.
Fans are encouraged to email [email protected] with their complete names and where they are staying.
Although a particular date for their seven-day visit has yet to be disclosed.
Mousinho added: ‘With no games, we’re conducting an open training session to attempt to balance things because we realize supporters want to travel throughout the preseason.
‘Obviously, it is not a match, but it will most likely provide supporters with a better understanding of where we are. We don’t open our doors for training sessions throughout the season, so hopefully this is a rare and unique look at how we work.
‘The great plus from our perspective is that we have more control over the timetable over there, which is much better for the squad.
‘Ultimately, that’s what the fans want; they want us to have a terrific preseason and come out fit and firing at the end of it.’
Leave a Reply