Celtic ‘secure’ second Japan friendly after Yokohama F. Marinos clash confirmed - but fans warned over ticket prices

The Parkhead club look to have arranged a second pre-season match in Japan.
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Celtic have confirmed they will face J-League side Yokohama F. Marinos in their pre-season tour of Japan - with a second friendly match lined up against Gamba Osaka.

Ange Postecoglou will come up against his former club at the 72,000-capacity Nissan Stadium on Wednesday, July 19 on what is set to be an emotional night and will act as the Hoops first opponents of their Middle East trip this summer.

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The newly-crowned back-to-back Scottish Premiership champions are finalising their plans ahead of the 2023/24 campaign as they attempt to seal three-in-a-row and and make an impression in Europe.

The match against Yokohama will also be a special occasion for wide man Daizen Maeda, who will face several of his old team mates 18 months after departing the club for Glasgow’s East End.

Postecoglou, who spent two years in charge of Yokohama from 2019 to 2021, commented: “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.”

Maeda admits he is excited at the prospect of a reuinion with a number of familiar faces. Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “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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Tickets for the match against Yokohama F. Marinos (KO: 7pm Japanese time) will go on sale at https://w.pia.jp/t/celtic-japantour2023 from this Friday, May 12 (10am UK time).

Celtic will face Yokohama F. Marinos in their pre-season tour of Japan, the former club of Daizen Maeda and Tomoki Iwata.  (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)Celtic will face Yokohama F. Marinos in their pre-season tour of Japan, the former club of Daizen Maeda and Tomoki Iwata.  (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)
Celtic will face Yokohama F. Marinos in their pre-season tour of Japan, the former club of Daizen Maeda and Tomoki Iwata. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

GlasgowWorld understands the ticket prices will be split into six different categorys:

*Rate 1GBP - 170 JPY

  • Special seat - £176 (30,000 JPY)
  • Category 1 - £109 (18,500 JPY)
  • Category 2 - £88 (15,000 JPY)
  • Category 3 - £56 (9,500 JPY)
  • Category 4 - £41 (7,000 JPY)
  • Under 15 - £21 (3,500 JPY)

The average working salary in Japan is around 280,000 JPY a month. J-League match tickets vary from between 3,000-5,000 JPY depending on your seat. That means the ticket prices for this glamour friendly will be considerably more expensive for travelling fans.

Meanwhile, a second fixture against fellow Japanese top-flight outfit Gamba Osaka is also being arranged, according to local Japanese publication Sponichi.

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Osaka, who currently sit in 17th place in the J-League 1, play their home games at the Panasonic Stadium Suita in the Osaka Prefecture and have had previous dealings with the Glasgow giants after selling Yosuke Ideguchi to the Parkhead side in January last year.

A friendly is also scheduled to take place against English Premier League side Wolves at the Suwon World Cup Stadium in South Korea on Wednesday, July 2016.

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