"How the hell did this happen?"
That is what one Bristol Rovers supporter asked – and doubtless many others were thinking – when the club announced seven days ago they had played the reigning league and cup champions of Portugal, FC Porto, in a secretly-arranged friendly.
Rovers were beaten 3-0, but that did not detract from a memorable experience for Joey Barton's players, testing themselves against elite opposition and a prestigious one-time Champions League-winning club.
The game was arranged quickly. Normally pre-season plans would be cemented many months in advance, but this time around there were more pressing priorities for the Gas and their decision-makers. A poor start to the season and an up-and-down autumn left Rovers off the pace in League Two and thoughts of pre-season were on the backburner.
A training camp abroad came back onto the agenda in March. Thankfully for the Gas, Barton and his close ally Eddy Jennings have brimming contact books. Head of performance Tom Short sent out to the Algarve in March to scout potential locations and Rovers settled on Browns Sports Resort in Vilamoura.
Browns has two large grass pitches, two pools and a spa, and it hosts many clubs across many sports throughout the year for warm-weather training, including Rovers' League One rivals Sheffield Wednesday who moved in after the Gas flew back home a week ago. It was also used as a training ground for teams in Euro 2004.
As well as a gruelling week of training, Rovers wanted to play a game on their travels. Several options were discussed, including newly-promoted Championship club Sunderland, but nothing that suited all parties could be nailed down.
Until the phonebook came in handy once again. Two weeks before departing, Rovers' fielded a call from a contact who arranges pre-season games overseas. "You can play Porto," they said.
Of course, Rovers accepted the offer. There would be conditions. The game had to be played behind closed doors and it was at risk of being called off if word got out.
Naturally, the club was disappointed that Gasheads could not attend the game, with an open training session laid on for fans that had already booked their trips, but with no other opponents on the table and the fact it was the FC Porto that wanted to play, it was a compromise worth making.
The game was squeezed in on the final day of Rovers' trip, with Porto taking ownership of the site for the day. The pitch was lined with FC Porto branding and they were in charge of the operation. Highlights have since been published by Porto, showing the ruthless streak of top-tier players with a couple of sloppy touches from the Gas mercilessly punished.
Sam Finley has since said it was the difference in "sharpness" that separated the sides, and Barton's players left the pitch having learned a few lessons.
One source of inspiration was former Real Madrid centre-half Pepe, a proud owner of 128 Portugal caps. He did not take part in the game as he was a week behind his teammates returning for pre-season. But the 39-year-old's physique and athleticism were striking as he was put through his paces away from the game. He later posed for pictures when the match had finished.
The week as a whole was a taxing one for the Gas, with the squad clocking up many miles to ensure they are in the best possible condition for the season ahead. Team spirit was strong last season and the sense is that camaraderie was only enhanced by the shared struggles of back-to-back sessions in the searing heat.
It was not all work, no play, though. The players enjoyed an evening out together in Vilamoura after a particularly challenging day on the training pitch and a dozen also enjoyed the chance to take on a couple of the region's famed golf courses on a day off midway through the training camp.
The players and staff also had regular interactions with heavyweight boxing contender Dillian Whyte. Whyte, whose last fight was an unsuccessful challenge for Tyson Fury's WBC crown at Wembley Stadium in April.
Whyte often bases himself in Portugal for training camps and a stint using the gym and training facilities at Browns coincided with Rovers' stay in the Algarve.
Whyte and the players got on well when sharing the gym facilities, with "The Body Snatcher" sharing his wisdom from a career competing at the highest level.
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