MANCHESTER CITY WILL join Real Madrid at next year’s International Champions Cup in Melbourne.
The reigning Premier League champions are the second team announced for the tournament at the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground from 18-24 July.
The third team for the series has yet to be confirmed, but reports have linked Inter Milan.
City have a stake in Australia’s A-League after the club’s Abu Dhabi-based owners purchased and re-branded Melbourne Heart as Melbourne City early this year.
“We are looking forward, once again, to being a part of the tournament,” Ferran Soriano, chief executive of Manchester City, said in a statement.
“We are particularly excited to be visiting Melbourne, which is home to our sister club, Melbourne City.”
With the securing of Real Madrid and Manchester City’s huge box-office appeal, organisers are hoping to build on the local appetite for top European clubs after a crowd of 95,000 watched Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Melbourne Victory at the MCG last year.
