The third leg of the Blues’ summer tour has taken us to Indonesia, with Xabi Alonso and his squad arriving in the country’s capital, Jakarta, this afternoon and getting straight back to work.
After six days in Hong Kong, which included a game against Serie A side Juventus in front of more than 43,000 supporters, we said goodbye to the city and boarded the team flight.
The Blues touched down mid-afternoon local time and, after a quick visit to the hotel for a late lunch, made their way to the GBK Stadium for an open training session.
Before the squad made their way out onto the grass, Alonso and Marco Palestra undertook pre-match press conferences ahead of our pre-season contest with AC Milan, which takes place tomorrow (Saturday) and can be viewed live on CFC+.
Alonso discussed the reception we received upon our arrival. ‘This is the perfect time to get close to our supporters from Indonesia – or those who can come to Jakarta,’ he said.
‘We know football is global, so while we’re based in London, we have great support everywhere and we see blue shirts wherever we have been.
‘We have been able to train and prepare [during pre-season], and I am very happy with the attitude and personality; we know that it’s a very important part of this tour.’
It was then the turn of summer arrival Palestra, who explained how he has settled into the group following his signing earlier this summer.
‘I am really confident here,’ he said. ‘Last season I played for Cagliari and for sure it’s a big move. But I am really confident because last season I played every game in Serie A, which is a tough league to play in.
‘So I need to say thank you to the staff and Xabi and my teammates because since the first day they have helped me with everything inside and outside of football. So I am really happy and confident for this season.’
With the media formalities completed, it was then time for Alonso and his squad to get to work ahead of a weekend that not only includes the Milan fixture, but also a game against Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia on Sunday.
The players undertook several drills in front of invited supporters, who enjoyed the opportunity to watch the Blues prepare for the forthcoming campaign at close quarters.
Once the session was complete, the players signed shirts and posed for photographs with fans before heading back to the team hotel to prepare for the fourth fixture of our trip.