Champions cup begins:the secret club world cup is booming
Hanover (dpa) – from jurgen klopp to pep guardiola, from real madrid to bayern munchen: 18 top european teams will play for the international champions cup (ICC) starting friday (local time).
Until the 12. August, the continent’s best teams will play for the cup mainly in the u.S., but also in seven european stadiums and singapore. The tournament resembles a secret club world championship. It is booming, the rough arenas will be full, even if stars like cristiano ronaldo are missing.
From germany, besides bayern, borussia dortmund will also be there. BVB managing director hans-joachim watzke described the bundesliga club’s participation in the sixth edition of the elite competition as "an honor". Billionaire stephen M. Ross, owner of the miami dolphins football team, started the eight-team tournament series in 2013 with his company, relevent sports. 18 teams compete for the first time this year. A kind of club world cup that FIFA president gianni infantino had wanted but was unable to implement.
Although the champions cup is not about the big prizes like FIFA’s 25-billion-dollar project, which has failed for the time being, it’s not about the big money. Every team can still earn money. According to an estimate by dortmund’s head of marketing, carsten cramer, in the "kicker," his club earns around five million euros with the tour of the u.S. BVB is hoping for a greater presence in north america, and the bundesliga is also set to benefit. Accordingly, the DFL will tender for a new television contract in north america for the seasons starting in 2020/21.
Fubball is still far behind the top four sports in the USA – american football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey. That’s why there are to be rough promotions with the many stars, such as dortmund’s us boy christian pulisic. But the sport should still remain in the foreground. "We planned the PR dates around fubball and not the other way around," cramer emphasized.
New coach lucien favre’s team will open the champions cup on friday night with a match against guardiola’s manchester city at soldier field in chicago. Two days later he will meet jurgen klopp and his FC liverpool again in charlotte. Last opponent is benfica lisbon on 25. July in pittsburgh.
Each team plays three games in this tournament, and the team with the best record at the end becomes the successor to FC barcelona. However, not all games will take place in the USA. FC bayern will face paris st in their first match on saturday in klagenfurt, austria. Germain. Only after that it goes for coach niko kovac and co. After north america. In philadelphia on the 25th. July juventus turin, then it comes to the clash with ex-coach guardiola and manchester city on 28. July in miami.
Some top stars will be absent due to the world cup and the late start to training. Ronaldo will not take part in the US tour of juventus and thus also the duel against his ex-team real madrid on 4. August in landover. On the other hand, national player mesut ozil will travel with FC arsenal to singapore to play against atletico madrid and paris st. Germain to play with coach thomas tuchel. The champions cup will conclude on 12. August in madrid between atletico and inter milan give.
