Liverpool fly to Hong Kong on Sunday to embark on a 10-day pre-season tour of Asia.
The trip will see head coach Arne Slot crank up the squad’s preparations for the 2025-26 campaign with an intensive training schedule in searing temperatures.
Supporters are set to get their first glimpse of record signing Florian Wirtz in action after the Germany international sat out last weekend’s 3-1 friendly victory against Preston North End.
As well as playing lucrative friendly matches in Hong Kong and Japan, the tour also carries great importance for Liverpool commercially given their existing sponsorship deals and huge fanbase in the Far East. Here’s what to expect.
Who are Liverpool playing?
Liverpool take on Milan in the Standard Chartered Trophy at Hong Kong’s new 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium on July 26 (12.30pm kick-off UK time; 7:30am ET). Built on the site of the former airport, it only opened in March and boasts a retractable roof and air conditioning. That will provide some relief from the expected 30C (86F) heat and 80 per cent humidity.
Massimiliano Allegri is back in charge of the Italian giants after replacing Sergio Conceicao, who paid the price for finishing eighth in Serie A. They recently signed Luka Modric on a free transfer from Real Madrid.
The day after facing Milan, Liverpool will head for Tokyo as the club visit Japan for the first time since the 2005 Club World Championship final when Rafael Benitez’s side lost 1-0 against Sao Paolo.
Local team Yokohama F Marinos, who are bottom of the 20-team J1 League, will provide the opposition at the 72,000-capacity Nissan Stadium on July 30 (11.30am kick-off UK time; 6.30am ET). Liverpool will be back on Merseyside the following day.
Which players are going?
It’s a far cry from a year ago when Liverpool embarked on a pre-season tour of the United States without most of their star names following their commitments at the European Championship and Copa America.
This time around, Slot is working with a much stronger squad. As well as Wirtz, captain Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Alisson should be added to the group who were on duty at Preston.
Van Dijk (left) and Alisson celebrate with the Premier League trophy in May (Michael Regan/Getty Images/Getty Images For The Premier League)
They weren’t involved at Deepdale after all the upheaval with pre-season testing following the tragic death of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a car accident in Spain. It was decided that some players would be better off doing individual fitness work at Kirkby instead.
Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton, who helped England Under-21s retain their European Championship crown last month, are due to report back this weekend after being granted three weeks off. Both have been heavily linked with moves away from Liverpool this summer.
The travelling party for Asia has yet to be confirmed, but there are likely to be fewer opportunities for academy youngsters. It will be an important trip for summer arrivals Wirtz, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman as they adjust to what Slot wants from them tactically and spend time with their new team-mates off the pitch.
How interested are the Hong Kong locals in Liverpool?
Very. The game against Milan quickly sold out, despite the 50,000 tickets costing between HK$399 and HK$2,499 (£38 to £238; $51 to $318).
It’s the first time Liverpool have played in Hong Kong since 2017, when they beat Crystal Palace and Leicester City in the Premier League Asia Trophy.
Minotti is chairperson of the official Liverpool supporters’ club for Hong Kong, which boasts around 700 members. They usually gather to watch matches at Cosmo Pub in the Mong Kok district.
“We’re buzzing with excitement for Liverpool’s visit,” he tells The Athletic. “It’s been eight years since they were last here and now they’re coming as Premier League champions, which makes it extra special.
“Seeing world-class players up close is a rare treat. Mohamed Salah is a big favourite here and there’s a buzz around the new signings, like Wirtz. It’s a dream come true to have them all here. Fans from Singapore and Malaysia are joining us, turning it into a massive regional celebration of all things Liverpool. The official supporters’ club is busy preparing, but we’re loving every minute of it.
Minotti stands between Sami Hyypia (left) and David James (right) (Photo courtesy of Minotti)
“Tickets sold out in a matter of hours, so expect a full house of roaring fans. Not everyone there will be a Liverpool fan, but we will try our best to make it a Liverpool home match. We’re planning heartfelt tributes for Diogo Jota, including singing his song around the 20-minute mark. Fans have also left messages at the LFC official store, which are being passed on to the club.
“Hong Kong in July is hot and wet, but the new stadium is a cutting-edge venue with air conditioning, so it will be a much more comfortable experience for the players than their visit eight years ago.”
What about the people of Japan?
The Nissan Stadium, which hosted the 2002 World Cup final, will be a sea of red. The official Liverpool supporters’ club in Japan (some members pictured in the top image) embarked on an online fundraising push to pay for 120 flags and banners, and donations quickly reached ¥1.2million (£6,000; $8,100).
Yumiko Tamaru is the group’s secretary, which has around 250 members. “We are extremely excited to be able to finally see our beloved team live in Japan,” she tells The Athletic. “It will be very special for all Japanese Reds, not only because we can watch our heroes play, but also because we get the chance to celebrate our 20th title with the players here.
“I heard that Real Madrid and Barcelona have the most fans in Japan, but English clubs are very popular, too. After the 2002 World Cup, the number of people watching overseas football increased dramatically.
“Yokohama F Marinos have been struggling this season, but I hope Liverpool don’t underestimate them because they will play at full strength to try to impress Arne Slot. I expect the stadium to be full and when we sing You’ll Never Walk Alone, we hope to create an atmosphere like that of the Kop. There will also be flags and banners paying tribute to Diogo Jota and we will sing his song in the 20th minute. He will be hugely missed and I still can’t believe what happened to him.”
Supporters have paid between ¥8,000 and ¥150,000 (£40 and £750) to attend the game in Yokohama. Unsurprisingly, Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo features prominently on the promotional material. The Japan captain is guaranteed the warmest of welcomes.
“It feels incredible for us Japanese Reds that the captain of the Japan national team plays for Liverpool and he is coming back to his hometown of Yokohama as a Premier League champion,” added Tamaru.
It will be even hotter than Hong Kong, with temperatures set to reach 35C at around 80 per cent humidity.
How important is the tour commercially?
Enormously. Liverpool signed a multi-million-pound deal with Japan Airlines last year to become the club’s official airline partner. The carrier, which also sponsors one of Anfield’s main executive lounges, is flying the squad to and from Asia.
Long-standing shirt sponsor Standard Chartered also has a strong presence in the region. It will be a busy period for CEO Billy Hogan and chief commercial officer Ben Latty, both in terms of satisfying existing sponsors and landing new business opportunities off the back of the club’s Premier League title triumph.
Club ambassadors Sir Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush, as well as former players Lucas Leiva, Sami Hyypia, Jerzy Dudek and Niamh Fahey, will be on the trip to attend various meet-and-greet events. That will help to ease the burden on Slot’s players.
Liverpool will also aim to leave a legacy through the work of their LFC Foundation coaches, who will be holding football clinics for local youngsters in both Hong Kong and Japan.
With the club’s Adidas kit deal not starting until August 1, Liverpool will wear last season’s Nike strip in both tour matches. Nike’s five-year contract had been due to start in June 2020, but it was delayed until the end of July 2020 due to the global pandemic, with the club completing the extended 2019-20 title-winning season in their New Balance strip before making the switch.
Liverpool intend to wait until after the new kit has been unveiled before confirming squad numbers for their new arrivals. As a result, they have been given temporary squad numbers for the pre-season matches, with Wirtz wearing No 58, Kerkez 57, Frimpong 59, Mamardashvili 56, Woodman 55 and Pecsi 60.
(Top photo: Yumiko Tamaru)
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