If you’re a Villa fan with a holiday in the Algarve booked around the end of July / beginning of August you just lucked out!  The club have announced a couple of pre-season friendlies in Portgual as part of the Guadiana Cup; an annual mini-tournament hosted by Benfica.

The format varies, some years four teams have competed, others just three, it’s not unknown for it to feature only two. This summer it looks like it will be three, with Feyenoord completing the trio. The tournament will be held in Vila Real de Santo António, which is right around the eastern border with Spain.



Previous matches in the tournament have been held at the Complexo Desportivo de Vila Real de Santo António and since we’re not exactly talking about a sprawling metropolis here, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that’s where the games will be this summer. Even if they’re not, you won’t exactly have far to go to wherever they are being held.

Last year Nigel Reo-Coker held the Peace Cup trophy aloft in an embarrassingly empty Estadio Olímpico in Seville, at least this place could actually fill up.

The stadium was host to 3 Group B matches (USA vs Iceland, Norway vs Sweden & Iceland vs Sweden) during the 2010 Algarve Cup; a Women’s invitational International tournament featuring 12 countries.

Fixtures

  • Friday July 30th – Benfica vs Feyenoord
  • Saturday July 31st – Aston Villa vs Feyenoord
  • Sunday August 1st – Benfica vs Aston Villa

Not exactly the grandest of summer tournaments around, but it’s a very nice part of the world and the chance to catch some rays and enjoy some football. There’s definitely worse ways you could spend your time.

Click here for all the 2010/11 pre-season fixtures.

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7 Comments to “First Games Of Pre-Season 2010/11 Announced – Portgual”

  1. Badger 20 May 2010 at 9:53 pm #

    I’ve never fancied Portugal, up till now.
    And I’ve never been to mainland Spain.

    3 birds with one stone?

    Food for thought, that.

    Reply
    • Dan 20 May 2010 at 10:09 pm #

      i meant to add the driving distances from malaga and seville where we played last year in the peace cup. not too far by the looks. gibraltar too. just in case folk are on holiday in the area anyway.

      i’ve not been to portugal, but i’ve driven around a wee bit of southern spain. good roads, pretty countryside, nice weather, sounds good to me.

      we’ll have to wait and see what other games get announced. i know they’re not planning on leaving europe.

      Reply
      • Badger 20 May 2010 at 10:48 pm #

        “i know they’re not planning on leaving europe.”

        Just for a second I thought you were talking about our scouts :-) :-(

        Reply
  2. brett ashmor 29 May 2010 at 7:01 pm #

    mad villa fans live here, great place but where oh where can we get tickets.

    Reply
    • Dan 24 June 2010 at 9:42 pm #

      see the reply to sue’s comment below, i can’t post the same thing twice, the spam filters will reject it.

      if not, try through benfica perhaps? you’re not too far from them, are you?

      Reply
  3. Sue Goode 24 June 2010 at 9:11 pm #

    Wicked news, so just where can us mad villa fans living in Portugal get tickets????

    Reply

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