- International Champions Cup 'legends' touch down in Australia ahead of the July tournament
- Audi hosts exclusive football coaching clinic for elite juniors
- Local football fans will have the chance to see the best of European football at the MCG
Melbourne, April 21, 2016 – An exclusive football coaching clinic has taken place between a group of Australia's most talented juniors and three of European football's greatest exports, driven by headline partner, Audi Australia Pty Ltd.
Former Tottenham and English defender Ledley King, Juventus superstar and 1998 World Cup winner David Trezeguet and former Atletico de Madrid and Spanish midfielder José Luis Pérez Caminero touched down in Melbourne last night, representing the teams who will compete in the 2016 International Champions Cup Australia, presented by Audi.
The three Club legends arrived on the hallowed MCG turf today in one of the sportiest and most stylish Audi models, the RS 7 Sportback performance, before taking the Audi junior squad - a mixture of talented under 13s boys and girls selected by the Football Federation of Victoria, through their paces on a makeshift soccer pitch.
Following the overwhelming success of the tournament's debut last year, which saw 221,000 fans flock to the MCG to see Real Madrid, Manchester City and AS Roma do battle, Audi will again present the tournament, bringing the best of the world game directly into the Australian market in 2016.
"Globally Audi has long term partnerships with some of Europe's most successful football teams including Real Madrid FC, FC Barcelona, AC Milan and Bayern Munich, and we know from the results last year that it is a sport that generates huge passion in Australia, particularly amongst a number of Audi's key target audiences," said Andrew Doyle, Managing Director of Audi Australia.
"We are thrilled at the opportunity to once again present such a high profile and prestigious event at the iconic MCG, and help allow local football fans the opportunity to witness some of the world's best athletes from international competition."
After witnessing Melbourne's sporting colosseum, Tottenham's Ledley King said that the three Legends were looking forward to July's tournament, and learning about the Australian footballing landscape for the remainder of the week.
"Australia has definitely grown into a very competitive football country; you only have to look at some of their performances at World Cups and last year's Asian Cup in particular," King said.
"The other clear example was seeing this enormous stadium completely full for the Manchester City and Real Madrid match at last year's tournament. I can definitely speak for David and José in saying that we're very excited to be here in Melbourne and can't wait for the International Champions Cup Australia."
The quality of the teams travelling from Europe for this year's International Champions Cup has been underlined by the league positions in their respective domestic competitions.
Juventus Football Club are on track for their fifth consecutive Series A crown, Tottenham Hotspur are currently sitting in second place on the English Premier League Table, along with Atlético Madrid in La Liga.
Match details for the 2016 International Champions Cup Australia, presented by Audi:
Match 1: Melbourne Victory FC vs Juventus Football Club
Saturday 23 July, 2016, 7:00pm MCG
Match 2: Juventus Football Club v Tottenham Hotspur
Tuesday 26 July, 2016, 8:00pm MCG
Match 3: Tottenham Hotspur v Atlético de Madrid
Friday 29 July, 2016, 8:00pm MCG
– Ends –
The Audi Group, with its brands Audi, Ducati and Lamborghini, is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the premium segment. It is present in more than 100 markets worldwide and produces at 16 locations in twelve countries. In the second half of 2016, Audi will start production of the Q5 in San José Chiapa (Mexico). 100-percent subsidiaries of AUDI AG include quattro GmbH (Neckarsulm), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy) and Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy).
In 2015, the Audi Group delivered to customers approximately 1.8 million automobiles of the Audi brand, 3,245 sports cars of the Lamborghini brand and about 54,800 motorcycles of the Ducati brand. In the 2014 financial year, AUDI AG achieved total revenue of €53.8 billion and an operating profit of €5.15 billion. At present, approximately 85,000 people work for the company all over the world, about 60,000 of them in Germany. Audi focuses on new products and sustainable technologies for the future of mobility.