Atletico Madrid set to announce summer tour of China

Atletico Madrid are in the process of finalizing the details which will see the reigning champions of Spain embark on a brief summer tour of China this summer.

The confirmed dates for the friendlies are: July 28, August 1 and 4.

The venues and opposition have yet to be confirmed, but it is understood one of the matches will take place in the largest city in China, Shanghai.

In late January, the club announced it had sold 20% of its shares to Chinese businessman Wang Jianlin, owner of the Dalian Wanda Group, for a reported 45 million euros (£35 million). The company is a leading Chinese conglomerate operating in sectors such as entertainment, hotels and real estate with an extensive footprint in its domestic market and strong growth in Europe and the United States.

The Dalian Wanda Group’s investment provided the capital increase Atletico needed in order to comply with the economic regulations which are imposed on the club by the LFP (Spanish football). But even more important, the deal was made to open doors of the Asian market to Atletico and represented a significant opportunity to increase the club’s international brand.

The upcoming friendlies in China will provide Atletico Madrid with a first opportunity to showcase its footballing brand to the massive Asian market coveted by European clubs.

With Atletico continuing its domestic and European successes this season, the future continues to look bright for the Spanish club both on and off the pitch.

The La Liga club is also in the process of retaining manager Diego Simeone, after the Argentine confirmed negotiations in late February.

Simeone’s current deal is set to expire in June 2017, but all parties involved expect his renewal to be hammered out in the coming days.