Manchester City will play two games in China as part of their preseason tour to Asia this summer.
Pep Guardiola’s side will play in Shanghai and Nanjing as part of the Asia Trophy in July. Fellow Premier League sides Newcastle United, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers will also take part in the tournament. City have already announced that they will play sister club Yokohama F. Marinos on July 27 in Japan on the second leg of the tour.
As part of the Asia Trophy, City will play a semifinal in Nanjing’s Olympic Sports Centre on July 17 with either the final or third-place play-off in Shanghai’s Hongkou Stadium on July 20. Sources have told ESPN FC that they are also likely to play a friendly in Hong Kong on July 24 before flying to Yokohama.
City last toured China in 2016 — Guardiola’s first season — when a friendly with Manchester United in Beijing was cancelled because of the quality of the pitch. For the past two seasons, they have taken part in the International Champions Cup in the United States.
“China is a special place for City — it’s where Pep Guardiola began his City tenure in 2016 and we have a huge number of passionate followers across the country,” Chief Operating Officer Omar Berrada said. “We’re looking forward to hosting exciting events in China and welcoming local fans to our matches.”
With no World Cup this summer, City are likely to take a strong squad although the England and Portugal players are at the League of Nations tournament and South American players will be involved at the Copa America. City’s parent company City Football Group bought a stake in third-tier Chinese side Sichuan Jiuniu in February.
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