Manchester derby cancelled
Poor pitch condition leads to worries about players’ safety
The highly anticipated Manchester derby at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing was cancelled Monday due to poor pitch condition. The cancellation means that fans will have to wait until September for the rivalry between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola to be renewed in the Premier League.
Both clubs have apologized for the decision.
“The cancellation was made in the interest of player safety and comes following extreme weather events in Beijing over a multiple day period, that have left the playing surface in a condition deemed to be unfit for play,” a joint statement from both teams and match organizers read.
The “extreme” weather conditions in Beijing last week left parts of the capital flooded. A Chinese Super League match featuring Beijing Guoan and Yanbian Fude on July 20 was also postponed due to the heavy rain.
“Due to international travel schedules and planned sporting commitments, the match cancellation is definitive, and the match will not be rescheduled,” the statement noted.
Fans who have purchased tickets to the match can seek a refund directly from their original point of purchase, the statement said.
Several sections of grass on the pitch at the Bird’s Nest were saturated when the Global Times reached the stadium on Monday afternoon.
Both Guardiola and Mourinho had told reporters on Sunday they were worried about the players’ safety due to the state of the pitch.
It is not the first time that Mourinho has complained about the grass at the Bird’s Nest. Back in August 2009 when Mourinho was the head coach of Inter Milan, who were playing against Lazio in an Italian Super Cup match at the Bird’s Nest, he also complained about the pitch condition.
Both Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano and Manchester United Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward said in the joint statement that their teams will return to Beijing in the future, but some remained skeptical following Monday’s farce.
A scheduled afternoon news conference for teams and organizers was also cancelled, prompting journalists to joke that the International Champions Cup preseason tournament – which also brings German giants Borussia Dortmund to China – had turned into the International Cancellation Cup.
However, most fans who were left outside the Bird’s Nest with nothing to do were calm about the cancellation, despite being disappointed.
Marzin, a Ghanaian United supporter who lives in Shenyang, the capital of Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, said the cancellation was disappointing but acceptable.
“Though my favorite, Ibra [ United new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is not in the team’s squad for the China tour], is not playing, I wanted to see the others play,” said Marzin. “The cancellation is disappointing, but we have to accept it.”
Li Qiang, a 17- year- old student who favors Argentine City striker Sergio Aguero, said he traveled from his hometown in Xiamen to follow City and must now reconsider his plans before heading to Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong Province.
City will fly to Shenzhen to face Dortmund – who defeated United 4- 1 on Friday in Shanghai – on Thursday to conclude the International Champions Cup.