Newcastle United have ‘everything they need’ at the Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, according to Magpies favourite Joelinton.
Eddie Howe has taken his senior side, and some talented youngsters, to the £850m complex to kickstart the club’s pre-season preparations. The luxury training centre, ranked as one of the world’s best, will play home to Newcastle until this weekend before the work starts on Tyneside ahead of the season opener with Southampton in mid-August.
Until then, Howe’s players will have access to a top-of-the-range gym that offers CrossFit and yoga courses, tennis and basketball courts, along with indoor climbing walls. Players can relax in state-of-the-art swimming pools after training, while a beach volleyball court is available. In total 5,600 employees are employed at the ‘Arena’ and an on-site restaurant can feed up to 2,000 meals per day.
It is no wonder Arsenal, who enjoy a £60m-per-year partnership with Adidas, have relished using the facilities in the previous two summers. “We’re very pleased to have our training camp at adidas HQ confirmed to kick off our pre-season schedule,” said Gunners boss Mikel Arteta in 2022. “I’d like to thank adidas for hosting us. We’re excited to get to work at the world-class facilities the campus has to offer.”
Speaking to Newcastle’s media channels this week, Joelinton echoed the thoughts of all who have previously spent time at the facilities, insisting the start of the summer training camp has been a wholly positive one.
“It is amazing to be here, it is a great facility. We have everything we need,” he said. “The training pitches, the gym, the rooms. Everyone together, good for the new players as well, some academy players.
“Great to reconnect again and work hard. I enjoyed my summer. Recharge, recovery, enjoy, and now I’m fresh and focused on the season.”
Joelinton has recently returned from a quadricep problem and is hoping to bounce straight back into Howe’s plans after a strong start to pre-season. The Brazilian has been joined by fellow dressing room leaders Alexander Isak and Sandro Tonali in Germany but close friend and fellow countryman Bruno Guimaraes remains on his summer holidays after a stint at the Copa America.
