Nicolai Haugsted
Premier League team’s preseason thrown into chaos after Trump’s helicopter operation.
Brighton & Hove Albion had every detail in place for a crucial stretch of preseason preparations in France. Instead, the Premier League club was left searching for an alternative after discovering its planned training facilities had been rendered unusable.
According to The Athletic, the pitches at Evian-les-Bains were damaged after being used as a helicopter landing zone during the G7 Summit attended by world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump.
Brighton had planned to base its squad at the Hotel Royal Resort near the French-Swiss border between July 23 and August 1.
Club officials traveled to inspect the facilities before the camp was due to begin but found the playing surfaces were still in poor condition weeks after the summit had concluded.
Helicopters transporting leaders, including Trump, former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, had repeatedly landed on the fields during the June 15-17 gathering, leaving the pitches unsuitable for elite-level training.
Plans thrown into disarray
The late change forced Brighton to abandon the French training camp altogether.
Preparations also had to be adjusted after a planned friendly against French second-tier side Annecy was scrapped as part of the revised schedule.
Rather than traveling to France, Fabian Hürzeler’s squad remained at the club’s training complex in Lancing on England’s south coast, where Brighton arranged a private practice match to keep preparations on track.
Brighton has now shifted its preseason camp to Austria, where the squad will continue its buildup to the new Premier League season.
Despite the disruption, the club does not believe the change will have a significant impact on its preparations.
The Seagulls are still scheduled to face French side Strasbourg on August 1 before taking on Italian clubs Roma and Bologna on August 8 and August 15 as preseason enters its final stages.
