Goal.com Special: Pre-Season Friendly Tournament Guide

It's a hectic time for any football fan at the moment, as players move in and out of clubs like trains at Waterloo Station.

However, there's a light at the end of the tunnel for those of us who want a break from the riotous switching of personnel and want to concentrate on some good old footy...

EMIRATES CUP

Where: Emirates Stadium, London.

When: Saturday August 1 and Sunday August 2, 2009.

What: Four teams are invited to the competition in which each side will play two games, meaning that each team will only play two of their opponents rather than three. The inaugural Emirates Cup tournament took place in July 2007, which featured hosts Arsenal alongside Inter Milan, Valencia and Paris Saint-Germain.

Who: The teams that will take part in the Emirates Cup are:

• Arsenal
• Atletico Madrid
• Rangers
• Paris Saint-Germain

PEACE CUP

Where: Madrid & Andalucia, Spain.

When: Friday July 24 until Sunday August 2, 2009.

What: The Peace Cup is an international club tournament which aims to promote world peace through the medium of football. Organised by the Peace Dream Foundation, this year's Peace Cup has increased the number of competitors from 8 to 12.

Who: The teams that will take part in the Peace Cup are:

• Group A: Sevilla, Juventus, Seongnam Ilhawa
  
• Group B: Real Madrid, L.D.U. Quito, Al-Ittihad
• Group C: Malaga, Aston Villa, Atlante
• Group D: Lyon, Besiktas, Porto

WORLD FOOTBALL CHALLENGE

Where: California, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts & Texas, United States.

When: Sunday July 19 until Sunday July 26, 2009.

What: The World Football Challenge is an international club football exhibition tournament that features four teams from around the globe.

Who: The teams that will take part in the World Football Challenge are:

• Inter Milan
• Milan
• Chelsea
• Club America

WEMBLEY CUP

Where: Wembley Stadium, England.

When: Friday July 24 & Sunday July 26, 2009.

What: England's international home ground hosts its first pre-season tournament this year in the form of the Wembley Cup. Four teams are invited to play in the competition over two days which allows for a total of four matches.

Who: The teams that will take part in the first Wembley Cup are:

AMSTERDAM TOURNAMENT

Where: Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam.

When: Friday July 24 until Sunday July 26, 2009.

What: In its present form, the Amsterdam Tournament is the successor to the Amsterdam 700 tournament which first took place in 1975 to celebrate 700 years of the Dutch city's history.

Who: The teams that will take part in the Amsterdam Tournament are:

• Ajax
• Atletico Madrid
• Benfica
• Sunderland

AUDI CUP

Where: Allianz-Arena, Munich

When: Wednesday July 29 until Thursday July 30, 2009.

What: One of the most high-profile tournaments of the summer, Man Utd, Milan, and Boca Juniors come to Munich to commemorate the centenary of the Audi car company.

Who: Four teams will play a simple knock-out tournament, including a third-place playoff, meaning two games each.

• AC Milan
• Bayern Munich
• Boca Juniors
• Manchester United
  

Plenty to keep us going until the new season kicks off, folks.

Stephen Crawford, Goal.com