FC Barcelona's preseason will feature an unusual format this weekend. Hansi Flick's side will take part in the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, a triangular tournament that will also include Udinese and Nottingham Forest.

Beyond serving as preparation for the new season, the competition has attracted attention because it revives a format that has virtually disappeared from European football and one that the Catalan club has not experienced in more than two decades.

How Will the Triangular Tournament Work?

The tournament will be held in the Italian city of Udine and will follow a different format from a traditional friendly match.

First, Udinese and Nottingham Forest will face each other in a 45-minute match. After that, FC Barcelona will play two additional 45-minute games: first against the English club and then against the Italian side.

In total, the Blaugrana will play 90 minutes, but split across two separate matches on the same day.

According to FC Barcelona, this will be the first edition of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup and another opportunity for Hansi Flick to continue testing different tactical options before the official season begins.

It is also expected that Belgian defender Jesse Bisiwu, who recently joined the club, could make his unofficial debut in one of the two matches.

A Format Barcelona Hasn't Played in for 24 Years

According to FC Barcelona, the club last participated in a true triangular tournament in 2001, when it organized a tribute competition honoring legendary goalkeeper Francisco Javier González Urruticoechea "Urruti", with Espanyol and Real Sociedad also taking part.

That tournament consisted of three 30-minute matches, with the Blaugrana eventually lifting the trophy.

The club's most recent experience in a similar competition came during the 2002 preseason, when Barcelona competed in the traditional Amsterdam Tournament. Although that event was technically a four-team competition, the Catalan side played two matches: first defeating Parma, thanks to a brace from Juan Román Riquelme, before losing to tournament hosts Ajax. Manchester United also participated in the event, although they never faced Barcelona.

A Tradition That Once Defined Preseason Football

While it may seem unusual today, triangular tournaments were a common feature of preseason football throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

FC Barcelona regularly took part in these competitions, facing different opponents in cities such as Oviedo, Marbella, Tenerife, Salamanca, Florence, Amsterdam, and Barcelona.

The club's very first triangular tournament dates back to 1947, when the Blaugrana defeated Mallorca and Atlético de Madrid to win the title in Palma.

Now, more than two decades after their last experience in a similar format, FC Barcelona will once again take part in a unique preseason event. Beyond the results, the main objective will be to build match fitness, give playing time to the squad, and allow Hansi Flick to continue shaping his team ahead of the official start of the new campaign.

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