CD Castellón to play first preseason friendly against CE Sabadell on July 18

The new CD Castellón is ready for its first test. The white-and-black team will play its first preseason friendly for the 2026/2027 season this Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 7:00 PM against CE Sabadell.

The match will close out the first week of work for a squad beginning a new era with Pablo Hernández at the helm from the start of the season. It will also be the first opportunity to see on the pitch how the new signings are adapting and the coach's initial ideas for the upcoming season.

Match Details

| Detail | Information | |--------|-------------| | Date | Saturday, July 18, 2026 | | Time | 7:00 PM | | Venue | La Coma sports complex, Borriol | | Opponent | CE Sabadell | | Public admission | No (behind closed doors) | | Television | No broadcast planned | | Coverage | Via clubs' official channels |

Behind Closed Doors

The friendly will be played without fans. Castellón has announced that all scheduled preparation matches at the La Coma sports complex will be held behind closed doors, so there will be no ticket sales or access for season ticket holders.

No television broadcast or official live stream has been announced either. Coverage will be limited, in principle, to information published by Castellón and Sabadell on their websites and social media.

Historic First Match at La Coma

The match will have a historic component, even if played away from the public. It will be the first match for the white-and-black first team at the new La Coma sports complex, a facility still under construction that is beginning to be integrated into the club's daily operations.

The project is being built in Borriol, next to Mediterráneo Golf, on an area exceeding 122,000 square meters. The complete design includes several football pitches, a mini-stadium, changing rooms, a gym, medical areas, offices, and spaces dedicated to the youth academy.

The holding of this friendly therefore represents another step in the commissioning of facilities intended to progressively concentrate Castellón's sporting activity.

First Test for Pablo Hernández's Team

The result will be secondary after barely a week of training. The match is primarily conceived to distribute minutes, evaluate the physical condition of the players, and begin to implement Pablo Hernández's initial tactical guidelines on the field.

This will be the first preseason the coach has led from the start. After taking over the bench during the previous season, the coach now has the entire summer to build the team, develop his model, and distribute roles within a squad still open to movements. The departures of Brian Cipenga, Álex Calatrava, and Beñat Gerenabarrean are still fresh.

Castellón returned to work on Monday, July 13, after almost five weeks of rest. The match against Sabadell will be the first of the friendlies scheduled before the start of LaLiga Hypermotion, planned for August 14 at 8:30 PM against Real Sociedad B.

Possible Debut for New Faces

The match will allow many of the reinforcements brought in during the summer market to be seen in the white-and-black shirt for the first time.

• Goalkeeper Amir Saipi
• Midfielders Jari Vlak, Fran Castillo, and Álvaro Martín
• Attackers Hamza Bellari and Íñigo Córdoba

These players face their first opportunity to gain minutes with their new team.

Juanjo Nieto also begins a special stage, returning to the club where he was formed after developing much of his career away from Castalia.

The first lineup of the summer should not be interpreted as a definitive statement of intent. Pablo Hernández will predictably distribute the workload and use numerous substitutions to avoid physical risks for players who still have few training sessions under their belts.

A Renewed Goal

One of the main focuses will be on the goal. The arrival of Amir Saipi introduces new competition in a position where Romain Matthys remains and youth academy player Sergi Torner joins.

The Kosovar international, arriving from Lugano, is one of the most significant signings of the summer. The departure of Amir Abedzadeh and the arrival of Saipi change the composition of the goal, where Pablo Hernández will need to start distributing opportunities from this first friendly.

A Newly Promoted but Already Familiar Opponent

Sabadell will not be just a preparation opponent. The checkered team has just returned to LaLiga Hypermotion after achieving promotion and will meet Castellón again just a few weeks later.

The calendar has scheduled the league Castellón-Sabadell match for the second matchday, on Sunday, August 23.