St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England, will host the inaugural Sela Cup presented by VisitMalta, a preseason tournament featuring Newcastle United of the Premier League, Fiorentina of Serie A, Nice of Ligue 1 and Villarreal of LaLiga from August 5-6.
The tournament format will see teams awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw and an additional point per goal scored. The winners will be presented with the Sela Cup, presented by VisitMalta.
“In an era where travel has become an essential part of our lives, sports tourism acts as a catalyst for growth, uniting individuals from diverse backgrounds through the universal language of sports,” said Clayton Bartolo, Malta minister for tourism. “The Sela Cup, presented by VisitMalta, will be a sterling opportunity to strengthen the Maltese island’s prospects in the tourism world.”
The tournament will have Nice play Villareal on August 5 before Newcastle plays Fiorentina. The following day, Nice plays Fiorentina before Newcastle takes on Villareal. Newcastle United Women will also play a friendly against West Bromwich Albion Women on August 5.
“There is huge excitement going into the 2023/24 season, so to be able to give our supporters two days of football involving both our men’s and women’s teams is something that everybody is looking forward to,” Newcastle United Chief Executive Officer Darren Eales said. “To be able to attract elite clubs from three of Europe’s top leagues shows our ambition to grow as a club and the growing attraction of Newcastle United. I would like to sincerely thank our partners, Sela and VisitMalta, for making this possible. Having them on board to offer their expertise in delivering top class events and activations will ensure the tournament is a great weekend for everyone coming to St. James’ Park.”
The tournament will take place after Newcastle returns to England after being one of the participating clubs in the inaugural Premier League Summer Series, which involves six teams playing matches in five cities throughout the United States.