European giants Bayern Munich abruptly cancel their tour of Australia over money concerns, just weeks before they were due to arrive Down Under
- Were scheduled to play an A-League All Stars game
- Reportedly asked for more than $8 million to come to Australia
- Tour canceled when funding didn’t happen
Bayern Munich, one of the most successful football clubs in the world, will not come to Australia to face the A-League All-Stars due to financial constraints.
According to German newspaper BildThe Australian tour due to take place at the end of May has been canceled because the organizers could not meet the club’s financial demands of 4-5 million euros ($6.7 to $8.3 million AUD).
The cancellation will be a major blow to football fans in Australia, who have now been deprived of the chance to see some of the world’s best players in action.
The A-League All-Stars concept returned last year with a match against Spanish giants Barcelona, drawing more than 70,000 fans to Accor Stadium in Sydney.
The All-Stars team consisted of players from the national league and was coached by Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke.
Aussie football fans will be shocked by news that Bayern Munich will not be playing an A-League All Stars team now that their tour has reportedly been canceled due to financial constraints
Around 70,000 fans showed up for last year’s friendly match between FC Barcelona and the A-League All Stars at Sydney’s Accor Stadium – and Bayern could have drawn the same number of numbers had the tour gone on
Sergio Busquets signs autographs in front of the crowd after an FC Barcelona training session during the Spanish giants’ visit to Sydney in 2022
Bayern Munich were expected to bring a star-studded line-up to Australia, including former Liverpool player Sadio Mane, Germany internationals Thomas Muller and Leroy Sane, and Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt.
The club has won six European Cup/Champions League titles and is widely regarded as one of the most glamorous and successful teams in football.
While the announcement will be disappointing to Aussie football fans, it will be a relief to the Germany-based players, who would have had to endure a grueling 30,000 air miles to get to Australia and back.
“Well, it would have helped if they played more than one game after coming all the way here,” one fan posted.
Despite the setback, Bayern Munich is not giving up on its plans to promote the club in the Asia-Pacific region.
In preparation for the 2023/24 season, the club will embark on a tour of Japan and Singapore at the end of July. The tour includes a training camp and several test matches, including one against Kawasaki Frontale.