The Manchester derby; a game that splits one of the greatest Cities of England into blue and red. A fight for bragging fights that since the start of the Mansour Era has developed into a fight for the title. For me, playing United is the biggest game of the season, and it always will be; there’s nothing better than beating United, getting one over on your bitter rivals is up there with the best feeling in football.
So, when I heard the news that the next Manchester derby will be in a friendly competition over in China, I was disappointed. A bloody friendly?! Nothing should be friendly about playing your bitter rivals. Even putting passion aside and I still think this is an illogical idea, I mean the game is set to take place just two weeks after the Euro’s finish. This will probably result in weakened sides due to fitness or injuries and will also be a further risk to the fit players; injuries before a big season isn’t something City need after this year. Ultimately, from a local fan’s point of view, for many reasons a match of this importance to fans cannot and should not be replicated as a friendly.
With Mourinho the firm favourite to take over after Louis van Gaal this season, it will reportedly be the first battle between Mourinho and Guardiola, a bitter rivalry in itself. The first clash these two have will be out of the country, in a non-competitive, pleasant environment. City’s investment deal with the Chinese consortium CMC is clearly a key reason as to why this has been proposed and to be fair it is a great opportunity to further popularise the club over in Asia in order to attract more fans worldwide. I welcome any new fan of City to come and experience the Manchester derby, however, these foreign supporters of our great club won’t be able to truly witness the derby atmosphere anywhere else other than in Manchester.
At the end of the day, it’s all commercial. It’ll make a huge amount of money and convert new fans. It’s not the best for domestic fans as it trivializes rivalries, but it’s the reality of football nowadays…
