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Leicester City have been invited to participate in the International Champions Cup preseason tournament in the U.S., according to the Leicester Mercury. The Foxes have been nigh unstoppable in the league this year, and their charge towards a potential title has been rewarded with the opportunity to play against the best on U.S. soil.
These lads are just lining up to play in the U.S. Photo: si_soccer | Twitter
Not only is the I.C.C. a great chance for Leicester City to increase its brand, but it is also a quite lucrative tournament that has continued to expand since its debut in 2013. Per The New York Times, the tournament has struck broadcasting deals in 169 countries and attendance doubled from 306,000 to 642,000 between 2013 and 2014.
109,000 fans packed into Michigan Stadium for Manchester United vs Real Madrid. Photo: @VoetbalInside | Twitter
Leicester are reportedly in discussions over its participation with the lineups expected to be finalized Tuesday, March 22.
It's back! Tune in to the live press conference on Tuesday for the full schedule of teams and cities! #ICC2016 pic.twitter.com/vLecR3Ht3U
— Int Champions Cup (@IntChampionsCup) March 17, 2016
Past I.C.C. tournaments have featured some of the biggest clubs in the world including Barcelona, Manchester United, AC Milan and Real Madrid. The Foxes are almost certainly grabbing a Champions League spot so the tournament could stand as an early chance to prove their worth against the best.
While the tournament could be a great opportunity for Leicester, the announcement carries with it a certain amount of irony. Charlie Stillitano, the chairman of I.C.C. organizers, Relevent Sports, was recently criticised after he made remarks that were derogatory towards teams like Leicester City.
Stillitano believes that big clubs should be guaranteed a spot in the Champions League as they have done more financially for the competition, a stance that would leave smaller teams like Leicester in the cold. The18 recently wrote an article detailing his controversial remarks, which you can read right here.
While we suspect that the timing of this invitation is an attempt to smooth over the fallout from Stillitano's remarks, we are still crossing our fingers that Leicester comes our way. After all, how great would it be to watch Leicester vs Barcelona?
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