Adelaide United’s exhibition match with La Liga side Malaga at the refurbished Adelaide Oval will be broadcast live in Spain.
Adelaide United-s exhibition match with La Liga side Malaga at the refurbished Adelaide Oval will be broadcast live in Spain.
It was confirmed on Thursday the Reds will host the Spanish side at the Adelaide Oval on July 25, a first fixture at the redeveloped venue for South Australia’s A-League representatives.
And it was also confirmed today by the Reds that the clash will be broadcast live in Spain, thereby giving the A-League another chance to boost its profile on the international stage.
Meanwhile, head coach of the A-League side Josep Gombau is looking forward to locking horns with his countrymen when Los Boquerones arrive.
And he wants Adelaide United fans to turn out in force for his team’s friendly with La Liga side.
Financial problems have caused Malaga to lose some of their cache since a run to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2012-13 under the departed Manuel Pellegrini.
But it remains an intriguing fixture, particularly given the Adelaide’s rebirth as an outpost of ‘tika-taka’ under their Catalan coach last season.
“This will be a very good test and great preparation for our Westfield FFA Cup game against Wellington Phoenix,” Gombau said in a statement.
“It’s a great opportunity for us and for the football fans of Australia, because a team from La Liga is coming, and this league is one of the best in the world.
“We will be playing in a new stadium, and we hope that our fans will come to see and support us.
“It will be the perfect opportunity to see what Adelaide United has to offer for the 2014-15 season.”
Adelaide chairman Greg Griffin is hopeful the friendly marks the first step on the road to regular visits from top Liga clubs to SA.
“We are hopeful that a strong performance in this game will further enhance Adelaide United’s prospects of being invited to play as the representative club of Oceania in the 2015 LFP World Cup Challenge, which would see other Spanish Clubs playing in Adelaide in a tournament environment,” he said.
