Leicester City returned from a week in southern Spain having pushed through a programme of demanding training drills and two warm‑up matches designed to sharpen the squad under manager Russell Martin.
Matches and results
The players faced Spanish opposition as part of pre‑season work, producing an encouraging win and a high‑scoring draw as the coaching staff sought to replicate game scenarios and pressure moments.
| Opponent | Venue | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cadiz | Algeciras | 1‑0 |
| Malaga | Banus Training Centre, Marbella | 3‑3 |
Training emphasis and on‑pitch developments
Sessions in Marbella were structured and exacting. One exercise involved five groups racing passing patterns around mannequins with points awarded for the quickest, cleanest finishes — a competition that underlined the coaching staff’s insistence on quality as well as tempo. Midfield and defensive units also practised compact combinations to escape opposition pressing and create forward angles.
- Passing under pressure: defenders and midfield three combining in tight spaces.
- Transition play: two central eights taking first shots and breaking runs.
- Winning mentality: short contests to reward precision and speed.
Notable performers in the drills included Hamza Choudhury, Conor Chaplin and Stephy Mavididi, who each won a contest to audible celebration. Training sequences also produced moves that led to finishes in the win over Cadiz, with combinations involving Harry Souttar, Bade Aluko, Tommy Neale, Chaplin and Choudhury creating three neat goals.
Game management and style
In the draw with Malaga, the squad showed improvement in passing out of pressure, which created space for younger options such as Sammy Braybrooke and Louis Page to push forward. The coaching notes from the camp will inform the final adjustments before competitive fixtures resume.
Supporters and logistics
The week was not without disruption. Saturday’s fixture was moved at short notice to the Banus Training Centre and existing tickets could not be transferred. Despite that, a substantial number of supporters followed the team to Marbella. Players including Jakub Stolarczyk, Wout Faes and Louis Page took time to meet young fans, while the club improvised to help supporters affected by the venue change.
In a notable piece of resourcefulness, shirts from last summer’s pre‑season were freshly laundered and handed out to fans rather than discarded — a small gesture that was well received locally.
Looking ahead
Martin described the week as useful for banking lessons, acknowledging an equaliser late in the Malaga game but emphasising detail work ahead of their next fixture against Northampton. Preparations will continue with another week of focused training designed to sharpen tactical and technical elements before competitive action resumes.
