There won’t be much friendliness in the Real Madrid vs. Manchester United preseason friendly on July 23rd. The August 8th Super Cup meeting could be filled with acrimony as well. The two clubs, despite being in different countries and leagues, have a very natural rivalry, given how they consistently compete with one another to be the richest and most powerful football club in the world.
These two clubs, along with Barcelona, comprise arguably the three biggest football/soccer brands on earth, and often find themselves butting heads. With Real Madrid and Manchester United currently training at the same site, and making their preseason headquarters in the same city, major friction is going on.
United and Real are both currently training on the campus of UCLA in Westwood, California, with the two clubs setting up shop just 200 yards away from one another. United have the superior pitch at Drake Stadium, with better locker room access. The situation is getting so bad that leadership of the International Champions Cup, a “tournament” that both clubs are taking part in, have had to step in.
The Daily Express writes that the organizers from the: “ICC tournament have been left stunned that two of the biggest clubs in world football are at each other’s throats. The situation has been described as ‘embarrassing’ as the clubs look to gain an advantage in their preparations.”
United squad are staying at the Beverley Wilshere Hotel, while Real are at the Chateaux Marmont on Sunset Boulevard. While both are no doubt, high end luxury accommodations, United have a leg up on Real, as ESPN FC writes: “Their hotel is also equipped with an outside swimming pool for players to use with temperatures on the west coast of America reaching record heights this week.”
#FirstWorldProblems
The bickering between the two clubs is nothing new. The overly tedious and exceedingly dramatic David de Gea transfer saga of 2015 ended with a midnight hour clerical snafu that saw each side blame the other. That further drove in a wedge that had already been in place from years past.
Via The Sun: “There was already bad blood dating back to the Spanish giants’ 2009 pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo. At the time United chief Sir Alex Ferguson said he “wouldn’t sell them a virus”.
Expect plenty more Real Madrid vs Manchester United tension and bickering in both the short term and long term future.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV.
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