FCA on tour in the USA
First Team
22.12.2019, 12:15
As the final whistle blew on Saturday in Leipzig, so began FC Augsburg’s winter break. While Martin Schmidt’s men will be preparing for the second half of the season at a training camp in Malta (5-11 January), they can already start looking forward to the next trip: At the end of the season, in May 2020, FC Augsburg will be going on their first ever post-Bundesliga-season tour abroad.
As the final whistle blew on Saturday in Leipzig, so began FC Augsburg’s winter break. While Martin Schmidt’s men will be preparing for the second half of the season at a training camp in Malta (5-11 January), they can already start looking forward to the next trip: At the end of the season, in May 2020, FC Augsburg will be going on their first ever post-Bundesliga-season tour abroad.
From Wednesday, 20th May until Thursday, 28th May, FCA will be travelling the States of Wisconsin and Minnesota in northern USA. Two friendlies have been arranged: On Saturday, 23rd May, FCA will face United Soccer League club, Forward Madison FC at Breese Stevens Field. Four days later, FCA travel to St. Paul, Minnesota to play Minnesota United FC from the MLS, the USA’s top flight.
Alongside the games, there will be a number of PR and marketing events with the aim of showcasing FC Augsburg and the Bundesliga in the USA. "We are delighted that our nine nears in the Bundesliga and our performances on the pitch have captured so much interest abroad to make a trip like this possible. Not only will the club benefit financially from the tour, but we also hope to raise interest in FCA among international partners," said Michael Ströll, FCA managing director. "The USA is one of the most important markets for the DFL and, through various points of contact, it is also of great interest to FCA." For instance, the 2026 World Cup will be held in the USA and Canada. Moreover, as of the 2020/21 season, ESPN+ will become the Bundesliga’s new US broadcasting partner with nationwide wide rights to Bundesliga games. The FCA tour will provide relevant content for the broadcaster.
"The tour will certainly be a special end to the season for us, one which we can start looking forward to already," said Stefan Reuter, FCA sporting director. "We already signed a player from the MLS ahead of the current season in Carlos Gruezo. That shows that the USA has great sporting appeal for us and lots of young players."
