Brighton & Hove Albion have adjusted their preseason schedule after the pitches they planned to use in France were damaged during the recent G7 summit. The club was set to conduct training sessions in Evian-les-Bains, near the Swiss border, through August 1. However, helicopter landings by world leaders, including former U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, caused significant wear to the playing surfaces.

Club personnel discovered the issue upon arriving at the site on Wednesday to begin preparations. The damaged pitches were deemed unsafe for training due to the increased risk of injury. Consequently, head coach Fabian Hürzeler and his players resumed training at the team’s Lancing facility on Thursday.

In response, Brighton will relocate to an alternative training base in Austria, departing tomorrow. The change has also affected their preseason match plans. A friendly scheduled for Friday against French Ligue 2 side Annecy has been canceled and will be substituted with an internal training match. Another friendly against Strasbourg remains on the calendar but will be held at a different venue to accommodate the revised arrangements.

The disruption underscores the unexpected impact of the G7 summit’s logistical operations on local facilities. Brighton officials are now managing the consequences as the club continues its preparations ahead of the upcoming season.