Some of the biggest clubs in Europe will face each other in the International Champions Cup starting 22nd July. The pre-season tournament is a perfect platform for managers to get their combinations right ahead of the gruelling league schedules as well as provide a competitive edge to get them prepared physically for their respective leagues.
The International Champions Cup 2016 will take place across four continents with world football heavyweights like Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea, Juventus and Real Madrid, all taking part in this 21-day tournament.
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TV and Live Stream Details
You can catch all the action of the International Champions Cup live on TV on Sony ESPN. Live streaming of the tournament will be available on Sonyliv.com
Three tournaments will simultaneously take place across four continents where high-profile teams have been split based on locations to play in Australia, China, and USA and Europe. Clubs like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona and Premier League champions Leicester City will play in the USA/Europe edition, while the China edition will see old foes Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho go head-to-head against each other when Manchester City face rivals Manchester United at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing.
Champions League finalists Atletico Madrid and Italian champions Juventus will take part in the Australia edition of the International Champions Cup.
Three trophies are on offer with each team playing three matches in different sets of fixtures in Australia, China and USA/Europe. Penalty shoot-outs decide drawn matches and the team with maximum points at the end of each set of fixture takes the International Champions Cup home.
The International Champions Cup was founded by the billionaire American real estate developer and owner of the Miami Dolphins and Relevent Sports, Steven Ross. The ICC is a much-needed competitive tournament ahead of the season. It also gives a platform for big clubs to expand their fan-base throughout the world.
The cash-rich tournament which will be played in some of the biggest stadiums in the world like the Bird’s Nest in Beijing and the Rose Bowl in California should be a perfect testing ground for managers to get their players in top condition, both physically and tactically before the new season begins.
Some of the high profile matches in this year’s International Champions Cup will include Real Madrid facing Chelsea on 30 July and Liverpool facing Barcelona on 6 August at the Wembley Stadium in London. Added to that, there is the Manchester Derby in China on 25 July where Jose Mourinho and Guardiola will renew their rivalry.
