Pre-Season Tour Kicks Off with Matches Against Arsenal, Liverpool, and Perth Glory
Yacine Adli (with Milan Futuro) and Rafael Leao during a friendly match at Milanello.
Following recent pre-seasons spent primarily in Western regions, AC Milan is now turning its attention back to the East. The club`s highly anticipated Eastern tour is set to commence today, with the squad`s departure scheduled for this evening at 10:20 PM from Malpensa Airport, bound for Singapore. The Rossoneri embark on this journey after an intense two weeks of preparation, which included daily double training sessions and full days dedicated to collective work at Milanello. This rigorous period concluded with a closed-door friendly match against Oddo`s Milan Futuro squad, where the first team secured a decisive 3-0 victory, with goals from Bartesaghi, Liberali, and Gabbia.
The level of competition is poised to escalate significantly with the upcoming fixtures. Milan`s initial challenge on the tour will be against Arsenal in Singapore, scheduled for Wednesday, July 23. This will be followed by a high-profile encounter with English champions Liverpool in Hong Kong on Saturday, July 26. The third and final match of the tour is set for Thursday, July 31, in Perth, Australia, where they will face Perth Glory – a location the Rossoneri visited just a year prior. The team is expected to return to Italy on August 1, after which players will be granted a short 2-3 day break.
Strategic Commercial Expansion in the Asia-Pacific Region
This tour distinctly highlights a strong commercial emphasis for AC Milan. Within a span of less than two weeks, the club will undertake several significant air transfers. While this demanding travel schedule may limit consistent training, it is crucial for establishing the club`s presence in the Asia-Pacific region. This area is of paramount importance to Milan, as they aim to reinforce their status as the Italian football club with the largest fan base, estimated to be over 300 million supporters. The tour itinerary includes numerous commercial engagements and initiatives specifically tailored for younger generations and fans, who will also have the unique opportunity to attend certain open training sessions. Accompanying the squad are two club legends: Pato and Serginho. AC Milan`s last venture into the East was in China in 2017.
Looking ahead to August, Milan`s schedule includes the expected arrival of new players Modric and Gimenez between the 4th and 5th of the month. This will be followed by two more friendly matches on consecutive days: on August 9th against Leeds United in Dublin, and on August 10th against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Official competitive matches will then commence, with Milan`s Coppa Italia debut on Sunday, August 17, at San Siro against Bari in the round of thirty-two. Their home league campaign is set to kick off on Saturday, August 23, against Cremonese.
