How to Organise a Professional Football Pre-Season Tour: Friendlies, Schedule & Logistics Checklist (2027)

A professional pre-season tour looks simple from the outside — a few training sessions and some friendlies in the sun. Behind it sits a complex operation: a training base that meets the performance staff's standards, opponents at the right level on the right days, flights and freight for a squad and staff of forty or more, and a duty-of-care plan that protects some very valuable players. This article is a practical checklist for football directors, team managers and operations staff, written from the questions clubs ask us when they start planning.

Olimpia Tour organises pre-season tours for professional and semi-professional clubs, worldwide. We act as your single point of contact for every workstream below. Costs are always on request because every tour is built around the club.

Key Takeaways

• •Start with the football plan: training load, number of friendlies and the level of opposition the head coach wants.
• •The training base and hotel should be minutes apart — every transfer is lost recovery time.
• •Friendlies need early sourcing; quality opponents plan their own pre-season months ahead.
• •Kit and equipment freight, medical access and security are often underestimated.
• •A single accountable operator removes the burden from club staff and reduces risk.

Step 1: Agree the football plan first

Every decision flows from what the head coach and performance staff want to achieve. Key questions: how many days are available? What is the physical load plan? How many friendlies, and against what standard? Is there a commercial or fan component? Once those answers are clear, destination, base and schedule become much easier to pin down. If you are still choosing a location, see our comparison of the best pre-season tour destinations.

Step 2: Secure the training base and hotel

Performance staff will typically want at least two pro-standard grass pitches, a gym, recovery facilities such as ice baths, a meeting or analysis room and a private dining area. The hotel should be within a short drive — ideally walking distance — of training. We inspect and vet bases and hotels in advance and share full facility details, photos and floor plans before you commit.

Step 3: Source the right friendly opposition

Friendlies are where tours are won or lost. The opposition should build in difficulty as fitness rises, and matches should be spaced to fit the load plan. We source opponents from local professional clubs, national-team programmes and visiting international sides, and arrange venues, match officials, medical cover, security and — where relevant — ticketing or broadcast coordination.

Sample 10-day pre-season tour schedule

This is only an example — your schedule is built around your staff's plan.

Step 4: Plan flights, transfers and freight

Squads travel with a huge amount of equipment: kit, training gear, medical supplies, GPS units, analysis hardware and sometimes nutrition products. We coordinate group or charter flights, excess baggage, freight forwarding, customs documentation and dedicated ground transport, so equipment is waiting at the base when the squad arrives.

Step 5: Duty of care, medical and security

Professional players are high-value assets, and the club has a duty of care to every player and staff member. We prepare a documented risk assessment aligned to the ISO 31030 travel-risk standard, confirm access to sports-medicine and hospital services, arrange security where needed and provide a coordinator available 24/7. Read more in our duty of care guide.

Step 6: Commercial and fan activity (optional)

Many clubs use pre-season tours to engage overseas fans and sponsors — open training sessions, meet-and-greets, community clinics or sponsor events. We can build these into the schedule without compromising recovery.

Why use a specialist operator?

Club staff already have full-time jobs during the off-season. A specialist operator provides established relationships with bases, hotels and opponents, negotiates as one buyer, and takes responsibility for problems on the ground. Learn more on our pre-season camps page, start planning your tour, message us on WhatsApp or get in touch — costs on request.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you organise a pre-season tour for a football team?

Start with the football plan (days, load, number of friendlies), then choose a destination and training base, source friendly opposition, book flights, hotels and freight, and build a duty-of-care plan. A specialist operator like Olimpia Tour can manage all of this as one point of contact.

How many friendlies should a pre-season tour include?

Most professional tours include two to four friendlies over 7 to 14 days, with opposition that gets progressively stronger as fitness builds. The exact number depends on the coaching staff's load plan.

How do clubs find opponents for pre-season friendlies abroad?

Opponents are usually sourced through operator and club networks — local professional clubs, national-team programmes and other visiting clubs. Olimpia Tour sources and confirms opposition, venues and officials for you.

What facilities does a professional training base need?

Typically two or more pro-standard pitches, a gym, recovery facilities, a meeting or analysis room, private dining and a hotel close by. We vet all of this before you commit.

Do semi-professional and NPL clubs do pre-season tours?

Yes. Semi-professional, NPL and state-league clubs increasingly run shorter pre-season tours or camps abroad. Olimpia Tour builds tours to suit every level and budget, with costs on request.

How is player safety managed on a pre-season tour?

Through an ISO 31030-aligned risk assessment, vetted venues and transport, confirmed medical access, security where required and a 24/7 on-ground coordinator.