It’s aspirational at this point, but Atlanta United may host some of club soccer’s most successful teams when it begins play in MLS in 2017.
Speaking on Tuesday at the unveiling of the DeKalb County site for his team’s headquarters and training complex, president Darren Eales name-dropped Barcelona and Manchester United as possible guests that will train there, and to compete at the new stadium being constructed downtown.
Eales, who worked at Tottenham Hotspur in England before joining Atlanta United, rattled off several reasons why he thinks exhibition games featuring those types of heavyweights will happen:
A lot of teams come to the U.S. to train, either in tournaments or barnstorming tours. Just this summer Chelsea, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Club America, Benfica Barcelona and Fiorentina played in America in the same tournament. Others teams came to compete in other games.
It’s easy to get into and out of Atlanta because of the airport, which reduces distance and travel time.
The new stadium being built downtown and scheduled to open in 2017 will be something teams will want to experience.
“I think with the new stadium there’s going to be a long list of clubs that want to play in Atlanta,” Eales said. “We’re excited about bringing some big teams to play.”
About the Author
