Manchester United players during practice for their pre-season game in China. The game was canceled due to bad weather. (Photo : Twitter)
Following their controversial pre-season tour in China, Premier League team Manchester United said that it is is still willing to do a return tour to the country.
United midfielder Juan Mata made the statement alongside Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany after issuing an apology to Chinese fans who were not able to watch their exhibition match, The Telegraph reported.
The two teams were supposed to have an International Champions Cup match at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing on Monday. However, severe rains coupled with unwanted fungus growth has made the stadium's field unplayable, forcing United manager Jose Mourinho, City Manager Pep Guardiola, and organizer Relevent Sports to cancel the game altogether.
The stadium's maintenance staff had earlier tried remedying the problem by digging out the infected portions and replacing them with new turf. However, heavy rains ended up washing away the new grass. Both Mourinho and Guardiola expressed concerns that the condition of the field could lead to potential injuries for the players should the match be continued.
Chinese fans expressed their dismay upon hearing the news of the cancellation. Some have complained that they have excitedly bought tickets costing as much as $657, while others said that they have traveled for several hours just to watch the game. Around 90,000 fans were expected to see the anticipated match.
It was not the only problem the parties encountered during the course of the tour. Mourinho also had to cancel the earlier pre-game press conference Saturday also due to severe weather, the Daily Mail reported. Earlier, the team's flight had to make an emergency landing almost 100 miles from the venue due to unfavorable conditions.
In their messages, Mata and Kompany assured their fans in China that they will be back to finally play. However, United officials said that they will let Mourinho decide on whether to push forward with future tours in the country.
