Manchester United v Manchester City game called off in Beijing over pitch fear

The Manchester derby in Beijing has been called off less than six hours
before it was due to be staged at the National Stadium due to concern
over the pitch, with Manchester United saying they and Manchester City
took the decision jointly.
A statement from a United spokesperson
said: "Due to recent weather events,
tournament organisers and participating
clubs have made the decision to cancel
tonight's International Champions Cup
fixture to be played in Beijing tonight, 25
July."
The unfit nature of the surface following recent heavy rain meant United
and City were forced to train at the nearby Olympic Sports Village and
both José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola were clear that their players could
be injured when speaking on Sunday before Monday's game.
Despite these valid concerns the decision not play what would have been
the first derby overseas is an embarrassment for each club. It is expected
fans will be reimbursed.
United's executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, said: "It's extremely
disappointing not to be able to play the game in this amazing stadium but
the recent torrential rain would have caused problems anywhere in the
world and has left the pitch unplayable.
"We know our fans in China will, like the players and staff, be saddened
by the cancellation of the match but I am sure they appreciate that the
player safety has to be the top priority. I am sure we will return to the
Bird's Nest in the future to give them the chance to see the team in
action."
The decision to call off the match followed a pitch inspection by
representatives of United, City, the International Champions Cup and its
technical advisers, the Sports Turf Research Institute.
United are due to fly home from Beijing as planned on Monday night.
Some of their squad who were not scheduled to play have done light
training but City, who fly to Shenzhen on Tuesday for Thursday's game
against Borussia Dortmund, have not trained.
City's chief executive, Ferran Soriano, said the club "remain committed
to playing here in the future".
The defender Vincent Kompany said: "It's sad for us, it's sad for our
fans. Obviously it's disappointing because we looked forward to playing
a derby in Beijing for a long time. We had our groundsman working for
10 days on the pitch, but the conditions were just too dangerous for the
players. It's sad to call it off, but I think mainly we want to thank all the
fans for their passion, for the way they've received us in Beijing."
He added: "It's been a special experience and everything in China has
been greater than life itself almost; it's been a truly a unique experience
and it's hard to put it into words when a big event like this is not
happening, but I do feel it's not the last time we will come to Beijing. If
we're patient, like Chinese people are, then good things will come around
again and we'll be here again … We have fans all over the world, and as
much as we like to come and see you guys, there's always an opportunity
for you to come and see us in Manchester."