Man City to return to China in July
Manchester City will return to China this year for the first time since their ill-fated visit of 2016, when a game with cross-town rivals United was called off at the last minute.
The first overseas Manchester Derby was cancelled just hours before kick-off because of an unplayable surface at Beijing's "Bird's Nest" Stadium following heavy rain.
Pep Guardiola's City will hope there is no repeat when they compete in the 2019 Premier League Asia Trophy, which will be held in Nanjing on July 17 and nearby Shanghai on July 20.
The other teams will be Newcastle United, West Ham United and Chinese-owned Wolverhampton Wanderers, the English Premier League said yesterday.
OPPORTUNITY TO GROW
Each side will play two games in the mini tournament, which is likely to be testing for the players with peak temperatures over 30 deg C and the possibility of torrential rain.
The conditions may not be ideal but the EPL and its clubs see such trips as a prime opportunity to grow their fan bases in China, the world's second-biggest economy.
"In Manchester City, we have the reigning EPL champions competing for the trophy," the league's interim chief executive Richard Masters said when naming the July line-up.
"I have no doubt the fans can expect some competitive and thrilling Premier League action." - AFP
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