Celtic have announced the first opposition for their summer tour of Japan in pre-season.
The Hoops will take on a familiar side for Ange Postecolgou - his old team Yokohama F. Marinos.
The Premiership champions confirmed last week that they'd be heading to Japan during the off-season, with a trip to South Korea also on the cards.
Details about the teams Celtic would face in the Far East had yet to be confirmed by the club.
🍀 Mark your calendars, @CelticFCJPN... Our first game in Japan has been announced! 🎌 🆚 Yokohama F. Marinos 🗓 July 19, 2023 ⏰ 7pm Local Time/11am CPT 🏟 Nissan Stadium, Yokohama See you soon, @prompt_fmarinos! 💚🇯🇵
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) May 9, 2023
Now, we know that Postecoglou's men will take on Marinos in the first game of the tour.
The Parkhead club have confirmed they'll take on the J-League side on Wednesday, 19 July at 11am UK time. It'll take place at the 72,000-seater Nissan Stadium.
Postecoglou left his role in Yokohama to join Celtic in the summer of 2021, so it's sure to be an emotional occasion for the Australian.
The Parkhead boss said: “I’m delighted to be taking Celtic to Japan this summer and it’s a tour made even more special by the prospect of facing my old team, Yokohama F. Marinos.
“It’s a great club that holds some special memories for me and I look forward to meeting up with friends there in July.”
It'll also be a return to his old club for Celtic forward Daizen Maeda.
Maeda explained: I’m really looking forward to our pre-season visit to Japan and in particular, returning to play against Yokohama F. Marinos.
“It is a club which has played a major role in my career and, of course, it will be a pleasure to return home with Celtic and see my friends at the club and the Marinos supporters.”
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