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Hatters announce home friendlies with AFC Aarhus and La Liga side Celta Vigo
Source: Latest News

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Town also heading to Slovenia for training camp

Luton will welcome La Liga side Celta Vigo to Kenilworth Road for a pre-season friendly ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign.

The Sky Blues finished 13th in the Spanish top-flight last season, after appointing Spaniard Claudio Giraldez in March to replace former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez, the 36-year-old steering the club away from relegation danger that was beginning to threaten the Estadio Municipal de Balaidos side.

Celta Vigo will be without top scorer Jorgen Strand Larsen though, the Norwegian international forward joining Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers yesterday on loan, with the deal automatically becoming permanent until 2029 for PS23m if certain clauses are triggered. Despite losing Larsen, the visitors will still have a side packed full of international talent, including Ivory Coast winger Jonathan Bamba, Greek forward Anastasios Douvikas and Spain striker Iago Aspas.

Luton will take on Celta Vigo at Kenilworth Road - pic: Liam SmithLuton will take on Celta Vigo at Kenilworth Road - pic: Liam SmithLuton will take on Celta Vigo at Kenilworth Road - pic: Liam SmithA statement on the Hatters website said: "Ticket prices for this fixture will be PS10 for adults and PS3 for U17s, while a live stream will be available to both sets of fans on their own platforms. A distribution plan for ticket sales from July 15th will be announced in due course, along with details for Hatters supporters to purchase a match pass to watch on our new website video platform LTFC+."

Prior to that contest, Luton will also entertain Danish Superliga side AFC Aarhus in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Saturday, July 13. The Whites, managed by former Manchester City striker Uwe Rosler, are one of Denmark's most successful teams, winning five league titles and nine Danish Cups, while also reaching the quarter-finals in both the European Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup during their history.

Meanwhile, Town will also take on two more foreign teams when the first team travel to Slovenia for their upcoming training camp. First they face Ukrainian Premier League side FC Rukh Lviv on Tuesday, July 16 at 2pm, who with Vitaliy Ponomaryov at the helm, finished sixth last season. Town will also go up against Turkish Super Lig club Goztepe on Saturday, July 20, who are back in the top division after winning promotion from the TFF First League under former Bulgarian international Stanimir Stoilov last season.

The Hatters statement added: "Our friendlies at The Brache and in Slovenia will be live streamed on LTFC+, with further details to be announced in due course, while our friendly at Dundee United on Friday 26th July will be streamed by the Scottish Premiership hosts."

Full pre-season schedule, Sat, July 13: Aarhus (BCD), The Brache, 1pm. Tue, July 16: FC Rukh Lviv (BCD), Slovenia, 2pm. Sat, July 20: Goztepe (BCD), Slovenia, 3pm. Fri, July 26: Dundee United (A), 7:45pm. Tue, July 30: Port Vale (A, Luton Town XI), 7:30pm. Sat, Aug 3: Celta Vigo (H), 3pm.