Celtic have announced the first opposition for their summer tour of Japan in pre-season.
The Hoops will take on a familiar side for Ange Postecolgou - his old team Yokohama F. Marinos.
The Premiership champions confirmed last week that they'd be heading to Japan during the off-season, with a trip to South Korea also on the cards.
Details about the teams Celtic would face in the Far East had yet to be confirmed by the club.
🍀 Mark your calendars, @CelticFCJPN...
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) May 9, 2023
Our first game in Japan has been announced! 🎌
🆚 Yokohama F. Marinos
🗓 July 19, 2023
⏰ 7pm Local Time/11am CPT
🏟 Nissan Stadium, Yokohama
See you soon, @prompt_fmarinos! 💚🇯🇵
Now, we know that Postecoglou's men will take on Marinos in the first game of the tour.
The Parkhead club have confirmed they'll take on the J-League side on Wednesday, 19 July at 11am UK time. It'll take place at the 72,000-seater Nissan Stadium.
Postecoglou left his role in Yokohama to join Celtic in the summer of 2021, so it's sure to be an emotional occasion for the Australian.
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The Parkhead boss said: “I’m delighted to be taking Celtic to Japan this summer and it’s a tour made even more special by the prospect of facing my old team, Yokohama F. Marinos.
“It’s a great club that holds some special memories for me and I look forward to meeting up with friends there in July.”
It'll also be a return to his old club for Celtic forward Daizen Maeda.
Maeda explained: I’m really looking forward to our pre-season visit to Japan and in particular, returning to play against Yokohama F. Marinos.
“It is a club which has played a major role in my career and, of course, it will be a pleasure to return home with Celtic and see my friends at the club and the Marinos supporters.”
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