Liverpool CEO Peter Moore reveals why the club won’t be returning to Hong Kong this year for preseason tour
- Anfield club will conduct its preseason tour in the United States for a second consecutive year
- Jurgen Klopp’s side last travelled to Asia in 2017
“Jurgen [likes the US] because of the predictability of the conditions, and the facilities are going to be world class,” Moore said.
“Whilst these are commercial and marketing tours, what Jurgen will always remind us is that these are preseason training tours and he wants top-class facilities. He wants weather that will be predictable,” said Moore, who was born in Liverpool but lived in the US for 40 years before returning to Merseyside in 2017 to take up the role as Liverpool chief executive.
Last time we were here, we nearly got washed all the way down the bay! That was Jurgen’s first ever time in Asia in his entire life. It wasn’t good
“Last time we were here, we nearly got washed all the way down the bay! That was Jurgen’s first ever time in Asia in his entire life,” Moore said. “It wasn’t good, but we’ll obviously be back here [in future].”
Reports circulated in November that Liverpool would return to China this summer with a triangular exhibition event alongside Shanghai SIPG and Chilean side Colo Colo mooted. However, the club never confirmed those reports.
Instead Liverpool, who are owned by Boston-based Fenway Sports Group, will play in South Bend, Indiana, at Notre Dame Stadium; New York’s Yankee Stadium and at Fenway Park, the iconic home of the Boston Red Sox who are also owned by FSG.
During last year’s US tour, Liverpool joined the International Champions Cup (ICC), but this year they will face Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, La Liga’s Sevilla and Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon as part of a solo club tour.
“We have this huge advantage: our commercial team on the ground in Boston can organise these tours. We’re not a part of ICC, this is a standalone Liverpool tour.
“Through Fenway Sports Management’s marketing and ticketing teams, we are able to do this ourselves and that’s unique for an English football club to have that ability. Last year we went as part of ICC, this year it’s just Liverpool on tour,” Moore said.
Earlier this month, Manchester City, who are locked in a two-horse race with Liverpool for this season’s Premier League title, confirmed they will visit in July to face Hong Kong champions Kitchee.
