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FOOTBALL CULTURE

Como to Host Summer Tournament as Celtic, Ajax and Al-Ahli Head for the Lake

By Editor DC

Published on: June 4, 2025

Tourists and A-listers heading for the shores of Lake Como this summer will have the opportunity to enjoy some top-class pre-season football after the teams for the Como Cup were announced.

Scottish champions Celtic, Dutch giants Ajax and Al-Ahli from the Saudi Pro League will take part in the tournament at the Stadio Sinigaglia from July 23-27.

Como will use the matches as part of their preparation for their second season in Serie A since winning promotion back to the top flight last year.

Celtic, Ajax and Al-Ahli will be joining hosts Como for the Como Cup this summer as part of their pre-season plans

Cesc Fabregas steered his side to safety with plenty of room to spare and a six-game winning run from early April propelled them to a 10th-place finish.

For young defender Alex Valle the summer event will be a reunion with some familiar faces. The 21-year-old, who has just completed a permanent move to Como from Barcelona, spent the first half of 2024-25 on loan at Celtic.

Valle came on as a late substitute in the League Cup final win over Rangers before moving to Como on loan for the second half of the campaign.

Al-Ahli will arrive with a few big names in their ranks. England striker Ivan Toney is their top scorer this term, second to Cristiano Ronaldo in the overall standings, while former Manchester City playmaker Riyad Mahrez and ex-Liverpool star Roberto Firmino are enjoying spells in the Middle East.

Ajax will arrive after finishing second in the Dutch league, missing out on the Eredivisie title after conceding a 99th-minute equaliser to Groningen to gift the trophy to PSV Eindhoven. They also reached the last 16 of the Europa League

Elsewhere, AC Milan have already announced three pre-season fixtures as they look to improve on a disappointing 2024-25 campaign. They missed out on Europe by finishing eighth in the table and losing to Bologna in the final of the Coppa Italia.

The Rossoneri will play in Singapore for the first time when they take on Premier League runners-up Arsenal at the National Stadium on July 23, and three days later they are up against English champions Liverpool at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong. They also have a clash with Leeds lined up for August 9 in Dublin.

Saturday August 9 is also the day Fiorentina are in action against Premier League opposition. They take on Manchester United at Old Trafford in what will be the first meeting between the sides since the Champions League group stage in 1999-00. Back then the Viola won in Florence while United took the points in their own home game. Gabriel Batistuta scored in both fixtures.

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