Liverpool’s pre-season opponents have been called off due to a relegation battle – Liverpool FC

Liverpool will meet Sevilla next month in their final pre-season friendly, but the Spanish side have seen their summer plans hit after their trip to Japan was cancelled.

On August 11, Arne Slot will oversee his team in front of an Anfield crowd for the first time, with La Liga side Sevilla the opposition just a week before the league opener.

And while the Reds are about to head into that friendly after three games in the United States, Sevilla have had their plans thrown into disarray by a relegation battle in Japan.

While it may be a pre-season for European teams, the J.League is heading into the thick of the season with 14 games left to crown a champion and confirm relegation.

Sevilla have agreed to play friendlies against Consadole Sapporo (July 30) and Sagan Tosu (August 2), but both are in the bottom three positions in the league and fighting for their safety.

ElDesmarque reports that tour organizers have been asked to “cancel friendlies” by at least one of the two Japanese clubs as they are “unable to distract” at this point in the season.

The Spanish team “offered to travel to Japan and play a friendly another time”, but that’s it AS he adds, this will represent an “economic setback” as the trip was to be a “profitable” one for Sevilla.

They must now struggle to find alternative opposition for Garcia Pimienta ahead of his first season in charge, adding to their games against Sporting, Fabinho, Al-Ittihad and Liverpool.

J.League clubs have almost two weeks off after the weekend, but why they would schedule pre-match friendlies is pretty mind boggling – and it’s no wonder this ‘tour’ was cancelled.

While Sevilla figure out their next steps, Liverpool are just days away from traveling to the United States to face Real Betis, Arsenal and Man United before returning for the game at Anfield.

Slot has already got three of his summer internationals back, but you can get the idea when the rest will follow here.