MU INDONESIA

Setelah menjadi gonjang-gonjang di antara para Manchester United (MU) Fans di Asia, akhirnya MU jadi juga berkunjung (kembali) ke Asia tahun 2009 ini. Lewat Manchester United Asia Tour 2009, kali ini MU bakal mampir ke Jakarta tanggal 24 Juli nanti. Sebuah perhelatan yang dibilang tidak 'biasa' karena sebagai sebuah klub raksasa dengan nama besar dan terkaya di dunia tentu MU tidak akan berkunjung ke suatu negara dengan persiapan ala kadarnya. Suatu prestise yang dipertaruhkan. Benarkah? Bagaimana dengan persiapan di Jakarta?

Setelah sukses dengan tour asia sebelumnya sepertinya Indonesia (baca : Jakarta) butuh dukungan penuh dari banyak pihak. Dukungan yang jelas tentu dari pemerintah daerah sebagai tuan rumah, para supporter Manchester United khususnya dan penikmat bola pada umumnya. Tentu sementara ini kita tidak boleh apriori apalagi praduga negatif tentang perilaku insan sepakbola kita, khususnya para supporter bola seperti yang sering diperagakan di berbagai turnamen daerah. Bukankah sebenarnya kita adalah supporter paling sportif, atraktif dan kreatif? Saatnya tunjukkan ke mata dunia bahwa kita adalah supporter yang santun dan patut dibanggakan!Mengapa tidak.....

Manchester United has announced that the club will be playing several friendlies in Asia during the summer of 2009.
The projected dates for the summer tour, as of press time, are:
China - Date, city to be confirmed
Korea - July 20, Seoul, Korea
Indonesia - July 24, Jakarta versus an Indonesia Super League Select,
Malaysia - July 26, Kuala Lumpur versus a Malaysia XI.
Manchester United will depart for China on July 16. In the summer of 2008, Man United toured South Africa and Nigeria instead of Asia. The last time the Red Devils had a preseason tour in Asia was 2007.
However, the 2009 summer tour marks the fifth time in the last decade that the club has toured Asia.
Not surprisingly, Man United’s 2009 summer tour is very similar to Chelsea’s 2008 summer tour where the Blues visited China, Macau and Kuala Lumpur.
United chief executive David Gill today announced plans for the Manchester United Asia Tour 2009, the club’s fifth tour to the continent in the last decade. The Tour will include stops in Jakarta for the first time, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and China, with the details of the China stop to be confirmed at a later date.

Organized by ProEvents, the Tour will provide both crucial pre-season training and an opportunity for the world champions to play in front of legions of fans across Asia. The Reds’ provisional schedule* will see the team depart from Manchester on 16 July as it kicks off its tour in China. From there, the team will head to Seoul to play once again at the World Cup Stadium on 20 July.
In Jakarta, the team will play against an Indonesia Super League Select at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on 24 July. United’s final match will be against a Malaysia XI at either the Shah Alam Stadium or Bukit Jalil Stadium on 26 July.

Unveiling the tour dates, David Gill said:
“Our tours to Asia are always special. The atmosphere generated by the supporters is amazing.