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Manchester United to play City in first derby outside UK in Beijing

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IANS London

Manchester United will play Manchester City in Beijing's iconic "Bird Nest" stadium on July 25 as part of their Tour in China, the football club said on Wednesday.

It said in a statement that United will play in the International Champions Cup (ICC) against a German Bundesliga side in the Shanghai Stadium on July 22 before facing Manchester City on July 25, reports Xinhua.

City also revealed the fixtures at its website, saying: "City will play United on the 2016 pre-season tour of China in the first ever Manchester derby to take place outside the United Kingdom."

City will play Borussia Dortmund on July 28 in booming technology hub Shenzhen in south China.

 

Omar Berrada, Group Commercial Director of City Football Group, said: "Everyone at Manchester City is delighted to be taking part once again in the ICC and there is a great line-up of matches.

"We are excited to return to China and to the Bird's Nest for what promises to be a memorable tournament.

"I'm sure our fans will create an incredible atmosphere in the Bird's Nest and in Shenzhen and we are looking forward to connecting with them both on and off the pitch.

"We are committed to having a long-term presence in China and to developing football across the country. We know our visit in July will form a big part of our continued growth."

City visited China as part of their pre-season tour in 2012 while United have been to China six times since 1999.

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First Published: Mar 23 2016 | 5:30 PM IST

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