The eyes of the sporting world will again be locked on Melbourne when a trio of international soccer giants go head-to-head at the MCG.
English Premier League heavyweight Manchester City, Spanish champion Real Madrid and Italian Serie A club A.S. Roma will all feature in the International Champions Cup (ICC), in what will be a rare opportunity for Victorians to see the European clubs cross paths.
Today, Premier Daniel Andrews joined Manchester City Chief Executive Officer, Ferran Soriano and former Sky Blues goalkeeper, Alex Williams, as City’s coveted 2013-14 Barclays English Premier League silverware made its way to the iconic ground.
Manchester City has strong links to Melbourne, as owners of A-League locals Melbourne City, and will command a global audience as it brings its star-studded outfit to Australia in July on the eve of another domestic campaign.
Sergio Aguero and Joe Hart are just some of the stars likely to travel, while Italian legend Francesco Totti will tour with Roma and World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo will feature for Real Madrid.
Beamed into more than 150 countries around the globe, the ICC is yet another chance for Melbourne to confirm its status as a major events leader and the sporting capital of the world. The three blockbusters are expected to reap Victoria $50 million in economic benefits, and create 300 new jobs.
Major Events are a key component of Victoria’s burgeoning tourism industry, one worth $19 billion to the state annually, and 205,000 jobs.
Real Madrid and A.S. Roma will open the tournament on July 18, before Roma meets Manchester City on July 21 and, then, City takes on Real Madrid on July 24.
Quotes attributable to Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews
“There’s no better stadium in the world to host some of the biggest names in sport. Who could forget the electric atmosphere when Liverpool walked out onto the MCG?”
“But this isn’t just about a world-renowned sporting spectacle; it’s about strengthening our tourism industry, which in turn means more jobs and a stronger state.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Sport, Tourism and Major Events, John Eren
“There were 95,000 fans packed into the MCG for Liverpool’s visit, and almost a third of those were interstate or overseas visitors. These events do wonders for Victoria’s status as a major events capital.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020