Athletic continues immersed in the middle of the holiday period. The only official information available regarding the return of the rojiblanco first team is limited to the dates set for the pertinent medical tests and the first training session in Lezama. From Ibaigane, the friendly match on July 31 against Unión Berlin has also been announced, one of the revelations of the latest edition of the Bundesliga. The rest of the programming is still on the wing.
Marcelino, who just before the end of the League already made it clear that he would like to carry out a preseason stage away from the rojiblancas own facilities, has asked for rivals of substance to deal with during this period of preparation. Such a request is not usual in the world of coaches. There are many technicians who, on the contrary, prefer to measure themselves only against more or less affordable equipment.
In addition to the aforementioned Unión Berlin, there are two other clubs that have announced in their summer programming two friendly commitments against Athletic. The Borussia Dortmund thing has already been known for a few days. The Dynamo Kiev thing, on the other hand, is relatively new.
The Ukrainian institution itself released yesterday a preseason match schedule that included a clash against the lions in Swiss territory. The date set for it is July 20, almost two weeks after the lions return to work. Therefore, it is possible to think that Athletic is planning a pre-season in Switzerland that would begin around that date and will end on July 31 after the confrontation, which is formalized, against the aforementioned Unión Berlin.
In between these two meetings there is also the duel against Borussia Dortmund. In this case it was also the German club itself that was in charge of announcing their duel against the rojiblancos. From Ibaigane, despite everything, the news from the website of the aforementioned German team has not yet been made official.
Athletic's preparation program, under such a perspective, would include the start of training in Lezama on July 7 and a concentration stage in the height of Switzerland from July 19 or 20 to July 31 with at least three friendly matches against as many rivals who will compete in Europe in the coming season.
It would not be surprising either that, prior to this trip to Helvetian lands, Marcelino's team measured itself against a Biscayan team. The Amorebieta, club recently promoted to Second, could be the rival of the lions before the concentration in Switzerland. From Athletic, for insisting that it not remain, nothing has been announced in this and other respects.
Dynamo Kiev, the last rival of the lions that has appeared on the public scene via social networks, has been training for a few days now. Its preparation, according to the club's own announcement, has been divided into two parts. Both in Switzerland.
The second of them, with the veteran Mircea Lucescu, his coach, already at the head of the group includes the dispute of four matches from July 10 to 20 in Switzerland: Servette (day 10), Sion (14), Nice (17) and Athletic (20). The Ukrainian team, with an important record both before in Russia and now in Ukraine, has just won their League with overwhelming ease against Shakhtar. Lucescu, curiously, was the coach of the Donetsk team when the lions entered the Champions League for the last time.
About half of the Kiev squad are currently playing in Euro 2020 under Shevchenko. Ukraine is already assured of its presence in the round of 16. The League of that country kicks off the last weekend of July, so the duel against Athletic would be a good test for the Lucescu team.