Celtic announce South Korea friendly against Premier League side

Celtic will play English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers on their pre-season tour of Asia in the summer.

The Hoops will take on the Midlands side, currently managed Julen Lopetegui, in South Korea on July 26.

Ange Postecoglou’s men, who are on the cusp of a historic treble, revealed on Tuesday that they will be travelling to Japan and Korea as part of preparations for the 2023/24 season.

The game against Wolves will be played in Suwon in a stadium that was purpose built for the 2002 World Cup.

The Suwon World Cup Stadium holds 45,000 and will host the homecoming of Celtic’s South Korea international star Hyeongyu Oh.

Japanese stars, including Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda, will also be returning to their homeland for a string of friendlies that have yet to be announced.

Wolves, who have South Korean favourite Hwang Hee-chan in their squad, have also revealed they will play Roma at the Incheon Asiad Stadium.

Jaehyung Ahn, a Tour Director and the CEO of USG, who are organising the games, said: “South Korean football is getting the recognition at a global level.

“More and more of our stars are playing in the various European football leagues and as an organization and a proud supporter of South Korean football, we want to do our part in getting even more awareness out there.

“The European teams and fans have embraced Hwang Hee Chan and Oh Hyeon Gyu and we want to invite their clubs to visit South Korea so that we can help our football heroes give their clubs an equally big welcome. And in doing so, we also hope we can help more of the world see and love the beauty and culture of South Korea.”

Seongho Park, a partnership director and the CEO of Stadium X, added: “We are looking forward to creating a multi-match football festival to mark the start of a wonderful summer filled with unforgettable experiences for the fans.

“We would also like to express our gratitude to Suwon City and Incheon Metropolitan City for their great support and helping us fulfill our objectives and give fans the great opportunity to cheer on their football stars in person.”