With major European football leagues set to resume in less than a month, clubs are stepping up their preparations for the new season. Friendlies, training in warm-weather zones and yes, pre-season tours around the world.
Of all the pre-season friendlies you’ll be seeing this summer, none is as prestigious as the International Champions Cup.
Running since 2013, the tournament has been able to attract the who-is-who’s in European football and make a spectacle out of them.
From the 18th of July, teams like AC Milan, Arsenal, AS Roma, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, PSG, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Lyon will come up against each other, albeit in a friendly fashion.
That’s not to say that there won’t be tackles, crunching slides, dribbles and goals. These and many more are what make the ICC a beauty to behold.
Asides being played in two continents and in a number of cities, this tournament tends to give football fans those fantasy match-ups they’d usually only get in an elite competition like the UEFA Champions League.
So, what’s the schedule for this year’s edition like?
Tue 18 Jul
Thu 20 Jul
AS Roma VS Paris Saint-Germain
Fri 21 Jul, 17
Manchester United VS Manchester City
Sat 22 Jul, 17
Juventus Turin VS FC Barcelona
Sun 23 Jul, 17
Paris Saint-Germain VS Tottenham Hotspur
Mon 24 Jul, 17
Wed 26 Jul, 17
Thu 27 Jul, 17
FC Barcelona VS Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain VS Juventus Turin
Sat 29 Jul, 17
Looks like a Champions League draw from the 2000’s, right? Well, after waiting so long for the return of our favorite football clubs to action, there’s no better way to get things started.
Expect to see all the new signings strut their stuff alongside the regulars. Of course there will be goals (last year’s edition saw an average of 3.35 goals scored per game) and games will drag along into penalties if 90 minutes is not enough time to settle the scores.
In the end, the winner is determined by which team is able to amass the most points. But most fans won’t care so much about the winner as they would about all the action and “paparazzi” that comes with the tournament.
Hopefully no games will be cancelled this year.
After a long break, football fans have sure waited for a long time. And now that the wait is almost over, let the games begin!
P.S.: You can click on any of the games listed within this post to back your predictions and earn yourself some money. While you’re at it, which player are you looking forward to seeing in this tournament? Reply us in the comments.
Tags: International Champions Cup, International Champions Cup 2017
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