Barcelona and Real Madrid to play in Hong Kong, amid hopes Kai Tak will lure big guns
Luis Garcia and Fernando Morientes among those who commit to play at Hong Kong Stadium in December clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid
Football boss Eric Fok Kai-shan said the soon-to-be-opened Kai Tak Sports Park would strengthen Hong Kong’s chances of luring elite clubs, as officials confirmed Barcelona and Real Madrid legends were going to play a game in the city.
Organisers have assembled a collection of marquee names for the match on December 20, with the likes of Xavi Hernández, Luis Figo, Iker Casillas and Roberto Carlos expected to play at Hong Kong Stadium.
Fans in Hong Kong have had a meagre diet of top-class contemporary visitors, however. Manchester City came to play Kitchee in 2019, two years after four Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, competed in a mini-tournament in the city.
Real Madrid, featuring the now 51-year-old duo of Figo and Carlos in their pomp, played in Hong Kong in 2003.
Amid his “excitement” about the forthcoming legends match, which is poised to be one of the farewell events for the tired Causeway Bay venue, Fok acknowledged that the city’s paucity of modern grounds been “the biggest bottleneck” to attracting football’s most illustrious clubs.
Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu said in his policy address on Wednesday that international sports competitions at Kai Tak would be integral to establishing a mega-event economy in the city.
