Brighton and Hove Albion had big plans for preseason. The Premier League club wanted to train in France before the new season started. Those plans fell apart strangely.
World leaders gathered nearby for the G7 summit in June. Their helicopters landed on the exact fields Brighton hoped to use. The damage left the club scrambling for a new plan just days before camp was set to begin.
Brighton picked a base near the Swiss border
Brighton planned to hold a private preseason camp in Évian-les-Bains, France, near the Swiss border, expecting to stay at the Hotel Royal Resort from July 23 through August 1. The club scheduled two behind-closed-doors friendlies during the trip, against Annecy on July 25 and Strasbourg on August 1, fitting neatly into its early-season buildup.
However, staff arriving before the squad found that helicopter landings during the June G7 summit had left the intended training pitches unusable. None of the planning had accounted for a major international summit nearby, and the location became the center of an unexpected mess instead.
World leaders used the fields in June
The 2026 G7 summit took place in Évian-les-Bains, France, from June 15-17. Attendees included U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and then-UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has since left office.
Helicopters transporting summit delegations reportedly used local soccer fields as landing areas, and Brighton later learned that the landings had damaged pitches the club planned to use for its preseason camp.
The choice made sense for the summit’s logistical needs at the time. Few people thought about how it might affect a soccer club months later, and Brighton certainly did not expect any impact on its own plans when the camp was first arranged.
Helicopter landings damaged the pitches
Helicopters transporting world leaders during the June G7 summit reportedly used the pitches Brighton planned to use near the Hotel Royal Resort.
When club staff inspected the facilities approximately five weeks later, they found that the surfaces had not recovered sufficiently for professional training. Staff deemed the pitches unusable and a potential injury risk.
Brighton therefore canceled its planned French camp and arranged an alternative training base in Austria, with the grass still not healed by the time camp was set to start. Helicopter landings can compact soil and stress turf, and Evian’s fields fell into a recovery window that left them unready in time for the club’s arrival.
Staff found the pitches unfit for training
Brighton sent an advance group of staff to Évian-les-Bains on July 22 to prepare for the squad’s arrival. After inspecting the pitches, staff deemed the surfaces unusable and a potential injury risk.
With insufficient time to restore the fields before the scheduled camp, Brighton canceled the France trip and its July 25 friendly against Annecy, then arranged a replacement camp in Austria.
There was no quick fix available before the planned start date, and the damage was too severe for last-minute repairs, so Brighton had to make a fast decision about its next move.
Fun fact: In 1983, Brighton defeated Liverpool 2–1 at Anfield in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The Annecy friendly had to be canceled
Brighton canceled its July 25 behind-closed-doors friendly against Ligue 2 club Annecy after abandoning the planned camp in Évian-les-Bains. With the fields ruined, there was no way to proceed as planned, so the squad remained at its Lancing training base and replaced the Annecy fixture with a behind-closed-doors, in-house match.
The change disrupted a key piece of early preseason preparation, and coaches had to adjust their planning on short notice. Despite the setback, the club stayed calm about the shift, noting that other friendlies remained unaffected thanks to a backup plan already in place.
Training continued at the club’s home base
After canceling the France camp, Brighton trained at its Lancing facility on July 24. The squad also played a behind-closed-doors, in-house match on July 25 to replace the canceled friendly against Annecy. Manager Fabian Hurzeler kept sessions running as normal there.
The temporary return to Lancing allowed Brighton to continue its preseason work before traveling to Austria on July 26. Reports described the overall disruption to the players and coaching staff as minimal. The setback became more of an inconvenience than a crisis.
A closed-door practice match took place at the home facility. It served as a limited substitute for the canceled Annecy game. Players still got valuable minutes despite the sudden venue change.
The squad then flew out to Austria instead
Brighton traveled to an alternative training camp in Austria on July 26 after completing its temporary preparations at Lancing. The squad held its first training session in Austria on July 27. This backup option helped limit the damage from the France cancellation.
The Press Association reported that the club had a contingency plan in place and that the changes caused minimal disruption to players and coaches. The Austrian camp allowed Brighton to continue preparing for its August 1 friendly against Strasbourg. Coaches emphasized that the change would not hurt preseason readiness.
The Austria camp allowed the club to resume its normal preparation schedule. Training resumed away from the ruined French pitches. Brighton aimed to get back on track before facing tougher competition.
Remaining fixtures stayed on track for August
Brighton’s behind-closed-doors friendly against Strasbourg remained scheduled for August 1, although reports said it would take place at a different venue. It also marked a return to the club’s original preseason calendar.
The club is then scheduled to host Roma at the Amex on August 8 and Bologna on August 15. Brighton’s first competitive match is a UEFA Conference League playoff on August 20. Both matches offered valuable preparation before league play began.
Brighton will open its 2026–27 Premier League season at home against Aston Villa on August 23. That match will take place at Brighton’s home ground, the Amex Stadium. The club aimed to enter the new season ready despite the early hiccup.
Little-known fact: The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, while the European Union also participates in its discussions.
TL;DR
- Brighton’s planned preseason camp in Evian-les-Bains, France, was canceled after the pitches were ruined.
- The G7 Summit in June used the same fields as helicopter landing zones for world leaders, including Trump.
- Approximately 5 weeks after the summit, Brighton staff deemed the surfaces unusable and a potential risk of injury.
- The team trained at its Lancing base and canceled a friendly against Annecy before heading to Austria instead.
- Remaining friendlies against Strasbourg, Roma, and Bologna stayed on schedule ahead of the August 23 season opener.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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