11 days, 3 cities: FCB primed for USA tour
FC Bayern's preseason schedule continues on Monday with the start of the AUDI Summer Tour in the USA. "We want to be good representatives of our club, our country and the Bundesliga a long way from home," commented captain Philipp Lahm, "it'll be an intense and interesting trip." The Bayern party will be on the move for a total of 11 days, starting in Chicago before proceeding to Charlotte und New York City.
For the first time, Germany's most successful club are competing in the International Champions Cup (ICC), a premium-quality preseason tournament operated annually since 2013. Carlo Ancelotti's men face the following opponents in the ICC (kick-off times in CEST):
- AC Milan (Thursday, 28 July, 3.30) in Chicago
- Inter Milan (Saturday, 30 July, 23.00) in Charlotte
- Real Madrid (Thursday, 4 August, 1.30) in New York City
Fans can certainly look forward to a festival of football and the Bayern squad for the tour is a strong one, despite the absence of the club's Germany internationals and Robert Lewandowski, Kingsley Coman and EURO 2016 winner Renato Sanches, who are all still on leave, plus injured duo Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa.
"If you want to compete with the biggest names you have to travel the world," commented FCB board director for strategy and internationalisation Jörg Wacker. FC Bayern have built up a significant fan base outside Germany, "and we have to give them the chance of seeing our stars and upcoming talents live." Everyone at the club is looking forward to an exciting time in the USA!