Real Madrid to play a pre-season friendly with A.F.C. Bournemouth

Real Madrid will be visiting England later this month to play a pre-season friendly with the Championship newcomers A.F.C. Bournemouth.

The Cherries finished second in League one last season, and they are set to host Carlo Ancelotti’s side on 21st July.

Eddie Mitchell, who is the chairman of the club, told the club’s official website: “Real Madrid are at the pinnacle of global sport and to host them will be an honour for the squad, management and supporters of AFC Bournemouth.”

“We see the fixture as a well-earned gift to our fans for their unwavering dedication to AFC Bournemouth, and also an opportunity for us to put the town of Bournemouth on the map.

“We are honoured to have been handpicked by Real Madrid to be their hosts in this landmark moment for the Football League, and we will do everything to ensure the game goes down in history.”

Real Madrid’s director of institutional relations’ Emilio Butragueno added: “The friendly match will be a fantastic opportunity for both teams and we are looking forward to travelling to Bournemouth and to the Goldsands Stadium.

“We look forward the challenge presented to us by our English opponents.”

In an interview with Sky Sports Mitchell later confirmed that except for the players who were involved in the Confederations Cup, the team would be at a full strength. This means that players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil, Kaka and Raphael Varane will all be featuring in the pre-season friendly.

Source: Yahoo Sport