City to play Europa League champions Villareal
Full house expected at the King Power
LEICESTER City could welcome a full-capacity crowd back to the King Power Stadium when they host Europa League winners Villarreal next month, writes Jordan Blackwell.
City announced the latest addition to their summer schedule yesterday, and will host the Spanish side on Wednesday, August 4 (7.45pm kick-off ), three days before the Community Shield at Wembley.
It follows a run of away games against domestic rivals Burton, Wycombe Wanderers and QPR, starting from this Saturday.
Following an easing of Covid restrictions, City fans can travel to those fixtures, while the Villarreal clash provides an opportunity for supporters to pack out the King Power Stadium for the first time since March 2020, when they beat Aston Villa 4-0.
Around 8,000 were able to return to the club’s home ground for the final day of the last campaign, a 4-2 defeat to Tottenham, but that is the only time City have welcomed fans since the pandemic took hold.
Tickets went on sale to seasonticket holders yesterday, priced at £12.50 for adults, with Fox members able to secure their seats from Friday.
Villarreal should provide an excellent test for City after they won the first trophy in their history in May, beating Manchester United on penalties in the Europa League final, a result that earned them a place in the Champions League.
They finished seventh in La Liga and have several familiar names in their squad, including Spanish internationals Gerard Moreno and Pau Torres, former Liverpool left-back Alberto Moreno, and former Tottenham duo Juan Foyth and Etienne Capoue.
But most notably, the match will mark the return of midfielder Vicente Iborra to the King Power Stadium.
A fan favourite, Iborra played 37 games for City in an 18-month spell before the club allowed him to head back to his homeland with Villarreal in January 2019.
Iborra has not played since suffering an ACL injury in December, but has been in training and is looking forward to returning.
The 33-year-old said: “What great news! It’ll be very nice to see you soon, Foxes family.
“I’m looking forward to stepping out at the King Power Stadium, to see you Foxes fans, and of course to watch my ex-teammates and friends.”
Hosting a European side has become a staple of City’s pre-season schedule.
Over the past 10 years, they have welcomed the likes of Atalanta, Valencia, Borussia Monchengladbach, Werder Bremen, Monaco and Real Madrid to the King Power Stadium.