The 2019 Audi Cup will be held on July 30 and 31 at the Allianz Arena, München. This is the sixth edition of the pre-season football tournament that will feature three big-wigs of European football – Bayern München, Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe Istanbul, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Bayern are the home team here and are on the verge of adding yet again another Bundesliga title to their trophy closet. Bayern are undoubtedly the biggest team in Germany and have dominated Deutschland football since 307 B.C. In European competition though, the Germans have faltered this year when they took on an ex-Bundesliga nemesis, Jurgen Klopp and his team of Scousers, and also faltered in the past when they angered a certain diminutive Argentinian in blue and red.
Real Madrid have had an odd year. The team won three consecutive Champions League trophies which is an unbelievable feat in football today. However, tragedy struck and the team lost their best player, the chiselled, tanned, jar of gel and self-pride, to Juventus, due to the said player wanting to be tested further. This left Real with the brilliant Modric who can put in a ball as sharp as the point o his prominent honker, lasered straight into the foot of any of their forward line. Unfortunately, that forward line has not been the greatest ever, since CR7 left (ask him, he’d say the same).
Fenerbahçe at one time was one of the most feared teams coming out of the Turkish league. The fans made any match played on their home soil a very intimidating event. Today, they have former Tottenham flop Soldado leading the line, and former Liverpool flop Škrtel trying to keep the opposition at bay. They are 14th in the table, and there are only 18 teams. At least they don’t have to deal with Van Persie anymore though.
That brings us to the last team in the Audi Cup, Tottenham Hotspur. The London outfit will play the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tonight, making them the most successful team in European competition of the lot this year (expect a DVD commemorating the event to hit their club shop any minute now). English footballing panels the world over have spoken about the true British grit shown by the team, applied here by a Korean, that has gotten them this far. It is this grit that will come up against the young, talented, free-flowing, ambitious, fun-to-watch, gel-boy beating, mayonnaise eating Dutch phenomenon, Ajax. Brexit preview anyone? However, back in the domestic squabble, Tottenham Hotspur have put a hold to all the excitement by once again vying for the top spot at the middle of the table.
So come July 30 and 31 for a price of €25 (Rs 1,950) the world can watch four teams who have won nothing this year (or in forever in Tottenham’s case) win something. Maybe. All jokes aside though, the Audi Cup will be a fantastic showcase of amazing footballing talent (and Tottenham Hotspur) and will feature shiny new signings and revered old veteran war dogs, and will also offer up a first look at how these teams will go on to approach the upcoming season. Should be a cracking event and a great day out.
For tickets and more information visit the Audi Cup website here: www.audicup.com
Story: Harket Suchde and Zal Cursetji
