Aston Villa Pre-Season planning is underway. The club have confirmed two more pre-season fixtures, adding meetings with Athletic Club and FC Spartak Trnava to Unai Emery’s summer schedule.
The update gives Villa supporters another clear marker for how the squad’s preparations will be shaped before the 2026/27 campaign. The club announced the additions on Monday, with the games joining an increasingly busy summer programme as Emery works toward the new Premier League season.
The fixtures matter because pre-season is likely to carry extra weight for Villa this year. Emery will want rhythm, minutes and tactical clarity before competitive football resumes, while supporters will watch closely for selection clues around senior players, returning internationals and any new arrivals.
Villa’s Summer Programme Takes Shape
Villa said the two friendlies had been added to the club’s pre-season schedule in an official Aston Villa update.
Athletic Club should offer a high-level technical test, while Spartak Trnava gives Villa a different European challenge as Emery builds match sharpness across the squad. Both fixtures also give fringe players and academy prospects a chance to force themselves into the manager’s thinking before the league schedule hardens.
For fans, the immediate takeaway is simple: the summer calendar is filling up, and the manager now has more competitive rehearsal time to refine his plans before the first league ball is kicked.
