Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City have been confirmed as the second of three teams who will compete in the International Champions Cup, which will be held in July in Melbourne, Australia.
Manchester City joins European champions Real Madrid as participants in the three-team summer tournament which will take place at the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground from July 18-24.
The English club have a stake in Australia’s A-League after City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners purchased and re-branded Melbourne Heart as Melbourne City earlier this year.
The tournament was held in the United States last year, with Manchester United beating Liverpool 3-1 in the final, but the competition has been expanded to include three teams facing off in Melbourne.
In a statement released to the media, Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano said: “We are looking forward, once again, to being part of the tournament. We’re particularly excited to be visiting Melbourne, which is home to our sister club, Melbourne City.”
Organizers of the competition are hoping to build on the local appetite for European football after a crowd of 95,000 watched Liverpool beat the Melbourne Victory at the Cricket Ground last summer.
While the third team has yet to be announced, it is widely expected that the Serie A side Inter Milan will be joining Manchester City and Real Madrid in Australia.
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