The Basque powerhouse, who won the Spanish Cup last season and finished sixth in La Liga, will provide head coach Sebastian Hoeneß and his team with a real acid test ahead of their coming campaign.
The Athletic Club match will be part of the official opening of the season for VfB, with various events planned either side of kick-off, which will be at 15:30 CEST in the MHP Arena. Further details and information on ticket sales will be published in due course.
“We are delighted to be welcoming a leading club from the Spanish league to the MHP Arena when we host Athletic Club for our season-opener,” said VfB sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth. “This match will mark the end of our pre-season and serve as a dress rehearsal for the Supercup a week later. We will also be looking to get in the mood for the new season with our fans by hosting a big day of football in white and red.“
Pre-season calendar:
| Date | Schedule | Fixture |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 4 July | Start of training | |
| Sun 7 July | Friendly | FSV Hollenbach - VfB |
| Sat 13 July | 15:00 CEST | Friendly | FC Luzern - VfB |
| Sat 20 July | 14:00 CEST | Friendly (in Heilbronn) | VfB - Fortuna Sittard |
| Sun 28 July | Friendly (Japan Tour ) | Kyoto Sanga F.C - VfB |
| Thu 1 August | Friendly (Japan Tour ) | Sanfrecce Hiroshima - VfB |
| Sat 10 August | 15:30 CEST | Friendly & official opening of the season | VfB - Athletic Club |
| Sat 17 August | 20:30 | Supercup | Bayer Leverkusen - VfB |
| 23-25 August | Bundesliga | Matchday 1 | |
| 27- 28 August | DFB Cup | First round | Preußen Münster - VfB |