CHERRIES will open their pre-season campaign with a game against Portuguese top-flight team Estoril in Marbella on Saturday, July 15.

Eddie Howe's squad are spending nine days in southern Spain, where they will be based at the Marbella Football Centre from July 7.

The friendly encounter with Estoril is set to be staged at the 7,300-capacity Stadium Municipal Marbella and will kick off at 7pm local time (6pm BST).

Estoril were promoted into the Primeira Liga in 2012, when they won the Segunda Liga under the guidance of Watford's former Hull boss Marco Silva.

Current manager Pedro Emanuel was part of Jose Mourinho's all-conquering Porto team of the early noughties.

A centre-half, he appeared from the bench in the 2003 UEFA Cup final, when Mourinho's side beat Celtic, and was a substitute 12 months later as Porto overcame Monaco to win the Champions League.

Cherries return from their Spanish camp on Sunday, July 16, with their first friendly on English soil away at Portsmouth six days later.

They play matches in consecutive days on the weekend of July 29-30, first travelling to London to face QPR, before welcoming Spanish giants Valencia to Dean Court.

Howe is also set to take his troops to League Two Yeovil Town on Wednesday, August 2.

Tickets for the match against Estoril can be purchased from the club; online, by telephone or at the Vitality Stadium ticket office.