Why did FC Dallas go to Spain for their preseason?

Getting out of the US in preseason is a pretty common thing for MLS clubs.

FC Dallas opened up the second leg of their preseason camp this week at the Santa María Polo Club Sotogrande complex in Spain. After a long day of travel for the players, coaches and team officials on the trip, the club was able to settle in on Tuesday morning for their first full training session in Sotogrande.

After spending the first two weeks in Frisco, some fans might wonder why the club opted to leave the country for a portion of the preseason. For head coach Nico Estevez, it is a pretty simple reason.

“I think it's important to keep developing and progressing and coming here is also good to be in a different environment and culture and have a different experience,” explained Estevez.

Photo via FC Dallas

Veteran midfielder Sebastian Lletget echoed his manager’s comments about getting away for part of the preseason as it allows the club to work in new players to the team.

“It gives you a brand new scenery, a little bit of a breath of fresh air, just having new facilities, new surroundings,” said Lletget. “I think it's just good for the group, good energy, and it's a good bonding experience for all of us, you know, because there's just a lot of young guys that we can incorporate to the group, and it's just a good opportunity to do that.”

FC Dallas will square off against four foreign clubs during their time in Spain, starting with a friendly on Friday morning against Danish side Odense BK. They’ll square off against three more Scandinavian clubs¹ starting next Mondy against Danish side Aalborg.

“We spend a lot of time in the US and in Frisco and a lot of the same opponents and three different competitions that we play,” said Estevez. “It was just to have different opponents and different experiences and give us a little bit of calm and privacy to try to develop things that we want to apply.”

1. According to the club, they will face Swedish side Malmo FF and then Norweigan side Odds BK. No official word on whether any of those games will be streamed.