Manchester soccer giants prepare for battle in Beijing

Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho watches his players during training for International Champions Cup China at the Olympic Sports Center in Beijing, July 24, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

Two English Premier League giants were poised to wow their Chinese fans in Beijing on Monday, despite the sweltering heat and occasional downpours.

The preseason encounter, featuring rivals Manchester United and Manchester City as part of the 2016 International Champions Cup, kicks off in the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest, at 7:30 pm.

It will mark the first time the two clubs have faced off against each other outside the UK, amplifying the importance of the Chinese market for both teams.

"The conditions here are not ideal, but we adapt to that, (because) it's so important for the club to come here to China to know the people and to make the people know how we are. And for the sponsors and for the marketing, we have to adapt to that," said Pep Guardiola, City's new manager, at the pre-match news conference on Sunday.

His counterpart with United, Jose Mourinho, echoed Guardiola's sentiments, saying that the fans' support in China played a big part in the club's decision to join the ICC tour here.

"I think it's one of the reasons why we are here. It's because of them. Obviously commercial reasons but in front of that is the huge fan base that the club has in Asia especially here in China," said Mourinho.

"We have in this moment weather conditions that are much easier preseason in Europe and even in North America so the decision to come is based on that passion and the respect for the fans."

Launched by Le Sports and Catalyst Media Group last year, the ICC China leg has become an annual fixture on the global ICC preseason tour, which invites Europe's elite professional clubs to play against each other across the world.

This year's ICC China leg also features German Bundesliga champion Borussia Dortmund, which beat United 4-1 in Shanghai last Friday and will square off against City in Shenzhen, Guangdong province on Thursday.

As new managers to their respective clubs, both Guardiola and Mourinho are using every training session to assess their players and espouse their sporting philosophies, but the rainwater-damaged pitch in Beijing has forced them to be cautious.

"No injuries," Guardiola said of his expectation for what seems to be the most eye-catching clash on this year's ICC Tour. "The conditions are not very good. The most important thing is that people don't get injured," he said.

Mourinho also expressed his concerns over the facilities.

"If you ask me my objective for the match I only have one — take the players home safe without any kind of injury," he said.

However, both teams practiced in high spirits during the pre-match training session on Sunday to pay back the enthusiastic support of their Chinese fans.

City's fans waved the club's iconic blue banners to cheer for the squad while the supporters of the "red devils" loudly chanted the famous melody "Glory Glory Man United".

Both teams also took breaks from training to take part in fan engagement activities so as to raise their commercial profiles in the Chinese market.

Elsewhere, Swiss avant-garde watchmaker TAG Heuer announced its endorsement as United's official timekeeper in Beijing on Sunday.

"Because of United's huge popularity here, for us to make this global announcement in China made a lot of sense," said Loic Biver, head of marketing at LVMH Watch & Jewelry Greater China, which owns the watch brand.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn