First 'El Clásico' in the USA while Man Utd and Juventus await
Friday sees the formal announcement of the pre-season friendly match between Madrid and Barça which takes place on July 29 at the Hard Rock Stadium in MiamiBarcelona vs Deportivo: LaLiga
El Clásico stateside
On Friday 10 March, the so-called friendly match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will be officially announced for 29 July at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, normally home to NFL side the Miami Dolphins. The match forms part of the International Champions Cup.
Unfriendly for almost 30 years
Although we have become used to this fixture in LaLiga, Copa del Rey and even in the Champions League latter stages, this will be the first time they have locked horns outside of Spain since 1982. On that occasion they played in Venezuela and Madrid won the pride-war with a goal from Vicente Del Bosque, who later went on to have a decent management career. The game in Miami will also be the first time the two sides have met in a non-competitive game since 1991, although putting "El Clásico" and "non-competitive in the same sentence seems a little futile.
The new pre-season extravaganza
By the time the summer comes we'll know who won LaLiga, who the Champions of Europe are as well as which big name players are coming in and out of the Bernabéu and Camp Nou. And these teams have more than each other to mingle with in the sponsor-heavy pre-season tournament with Manchester United and Juventus waiting in Washington D.C and New York. Madrid will be playing an MLS All-Star side in Chicago.
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