Barcelona touring USA 2005?

Does anyone know if Barcelona will be touring the USA in 2005?

 

When or where did you hear FSC state this?

Thanks

 

Celtic to cross Atlantic in July




EXCLUSIVE: By Richard Winton and Natasha Woods



CELTIC are set to tour the USA again this summer - despite Martin O'Neill's misgivings last year about a heavy schedule with excessive travelling, and regardless of how the league race ends.
Tournament organisers ChampionsWorld claimed they would rather have the Irishman's side even if Rangers finish the season as champ ions. The Ibrox club, meanwhile, maintain European preparations for the Champ ions League will always be their priority.

Chief executive officer of ChampionsWorld, Charlie Stillitano, confirmed that, while talks had taken place with Rangers, they would again not be invited this year. "Our friends at Rangers have been here in the past and we would love to have them again in the future," he said.

"The only problem is that we can only have one Scottish team this year because of the Champions League qualifiers - and we made a commitment to Celtic that we would invite them back after last year."

However, new Rangers chief executive Martin Bain insisted that although the club are set to cross the Atlantic in the summer, it will be done on their own terms to prevent any interference with their European campaign.

"We are buttoning down a pre-season tour to Canada right now," he said. "That hits an ex-pat base for us and we also run a lot soccer camps out there. We'll play one or two glamour matches.

"We've been criticised in the past because I've been asked why are Rangers in Austria when Celtic are in America for the ChampionsWorld, but the bottom line for us is that our focus has to be Europe and the Champions League. We don't want anything to detract from that, whether it be long- haul flights or time zones.

"That is why we will do Canada early and then come home and play one match - Borrussia Monchengladbach are the team we are talking to because that would see Dick Advocaat and Craig Moore coming back."

"We'd like to get a full house for that commercially and then there is room for another game and the opportunity to make maybe another £500,000, but that is not our priority. This time of year is just too important to us because we may have a Champions League qualifier to play."

Although O'Neill was unhappy about the density of games played and the travelling required by his side last year, his club are currently in talks with tour organisers, ChampionsWorld, with the scheduling of games thought to be the only unresolved issue.

However, with the club itself eager to at least match the £2million revenues which effectively financed Henri Camara and much of Craig Bellamy's subsequent loan deals.

After last year's programme of fixtures, which saw Celtic play four games in a week icoast-to-coast, the club are set to be based exclusively near the Irish Diaspora in the North East of the country and Canada.

Reunions against Champions' League nemeses AC Milan, Barcelona and Lyon are all on the cards. Jose Mourinho's Chelsea are also set to travel once more across the Atlantic.

Stillitano insists that although nothing is yet confirmed, Celtic will almost certainly take their place amongst the cream of the world club game in July.

"We would hope so, we're in discussions at the moment," he said. "Peter Lawwell (Celtic Executive Director) has been an absolute gentleman as we try to battle through a difficult time working this whole thing out. We have invited them but we have to see how the schedules will fit.

"It's a little tricky because we've got teams from Italy, England, Scotland and Spain and have to try and find a week when they can all come, with some wanting to come earlier and some later. But they are all agreed that they want to play each other so it's all about finding a balance.

"In the next two weeks we should be in a position to make an announcement."

The major stumbling block in the arrangements is the second qualifying round for the Champions' League in the last week of July. With the Premierleague title race sure to run until the final weeks of the season, it could be as late as May before Celtic know if they need to take part in this round as league runners-up, or whether a title win would parachute them straight into the final qualifying round in August. Regardless, Stillitano is confident that they will be there - and revealed the games look like evolving into a tournament format.


13 March 2005

 

Yea nothing like a Toronto night watching some soccer at Rogercentre on a grass field.

 

On World Soccer Daily they announced that Champions World will tour the month of July - for a trophy. Six teams - Celtic, Rangers, Milan, Juve, Barca, and Chelsea. 3 groups of 2. Final 7/31 at Giants Stadium.

 

Okay 6 teams split in 2 leagues, top 2 move on the bottome 2 go home. The winners meet at Giants Stadium July 31st. Chelsea, Juventus, AC Milan, Rangers, Celtic, & Barcelona.

 

Not sure what truth is in this report

European Giants to Tour U.S
Three English Premier League teams, three Italian Serie A clubs and one team from Portugal, Germany and Scotland (Celtic) are lined up to play a series of 12 summer pre-season games at venues across the U.S.
are slated to play at least one game at Giants Stadium - which should host two games - probably between English and Italian clubs.
The tour organised - by Championsworld - will shortly be finalised and full details announced.

 

Almost 2 weeks later and no news, what's the hold up now

 

Okay I'm confused Olympic Stadium is in Montreal Not Toronto so which city are they playing? Toronto's Skydome (Rogerscentre) is booked most of that week with baseball only 3 dates on July 23rd, 24th, & 25th.

"He said the 4 teams would play 6 games I believe including the final.
One of the games would probably be in Toronto at the Olympic stadium, I think 2 will be held in my hometown of Philly and 2 in other cities, probably Boston and Chicago, but that's not confirmed yet."

 

Those links are over a month old and theres been no follow up even though they state Championsworld would annouce the games the week of March 26th.