Sporting Lisbon to visit the Amex in “glamour friendly”

Brighton and Hove Albion have announced that their “glamour friendly” at the Amex before the start of the 2018-19 Premier League season will be against Sporting Lisbon.

The 18-time champions of Portugal will visit on Friday 3rd August, presuming they actually have a team by then after seven of their biggest players cancelled their contracts with the club after supporters attacked players at their training ground following the clubs failure to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Dutch forward Bas Dost suffered a head injury in the attack and was one of the players to walk out on the club, along with Ruben Ribeiro, Daniel Podence and four members of Portugal’s World Cup squad, Rui Patricio, William Carvalho, Gelson Martins and Bruno Fernandes.

Tickets are priced at £15 for adults and the Albion are advising supporters to book tickets early in order to secure the best seats in the house. Alternatively, you can turn up with your boots and shinpads and potentially get a game for the visitors.

Having faced the likes of Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Sevilla in the last three seasons, taking on the side that finished third in the Portugese league last season might have been seen by some Albion fans as a step down, even before the club turned into a right circus and lost half its first team.

Brighton have obviously struck up a good relationship with them however, having signed Ezequiel Schelotto from Sporting last summer.