Brighton preseason plans wrecked by G7 summit helicopters in Evian-les-Bains

G7 Helicopters Wreck Brighton's Training Pitches

You could not make this up. Brighton & Hove Albion arrived in Evian-les-Bains ready to put in serious preseason work, only to discover that world leaders had already torn the place apart. The pitches the club planned to train on had been used as helicopter landing sites during the G7 summit, leaving the surfaces completely unusable.

Brighton's staff reported the damage immediately upon arrival, and the club made the swift decision to abandon the training camp entirely. The squad had been due to stay at a hotel in the French spa town from 23 July to 1 August, but those plans are now in the bin.

Annecy Friendly Scrapped

The disruption does not stop at training. Brighton's pre-season friendly against French side Annecy has been cancelled outright. That is one fewer opportunity for head coach Fabian Hürzeler to experiment with combinations, test fitness levels and give fringe players minutes before the Premier League campaign begins.

For a club that prides itself on meticulous planning and progressive methods, losing an entire week of structured work overseas is a significant blow. Pre-season is where tactical foundations are laid, and Brighton have had a chunk of theirs ripped away by presidential helicopters.

Austria Now the Destination

Brighton have moved quickly to limit the damage, arranging an alternative training camp in Austria. The club's match against Strasbourg is still expected to go ahead next Saturday, which at least preserves one meaningful fixture on the calendar.

Before heading to Austria, the squad will play an internal match in the UK. It is a pragmatic solution, but it is not the carefully curated programme Brighton had mapped out.

What This Means for Brighton's Premier League Preparation

Here is the real question: does this disruption matter once the Premier League kicks off? History says pre-season hiccups can linger. Fitness targets get missed, new signings integrate more slowly, and tactical rehearsals get compressed into fewer sessions. Brighton are a side that rely on coaching precision and coordinated pressing, so every lost training day stings more than it would for a team that simply plays on individual quality.

The Seagulls will hope the Austria camp provides enough time to make up the deficit. But there is no getting around the absurdity of the situation: a global political summit has directly interfered with a Premier League club's preparation, and Brighton are the ones paying the price.