The Manchester United Asian Tour 2007

AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam speaking at the AFC Asian Cup™ Organising Committee meeting today.
KUALA LUMPUR: AFC President, Mohamed Bin Hammam, today expressed concern over the planned July tour of Manchester United to Asia and other European club activities, saying that the pre-season commercial tours were in direct conflict with the continent's flagship competition, the AFC Asian Cup 2007™.
In his opening remarks to the 8th AFC Asian Cup™ Organising Committee, which met today at AFC House under the chairmanship of China's Zhang Jilong, Bin Hammam said: "Organisation of different competitions in and around the AFC Asian Cup™ is affecting the mood of the competition. The visit of Manchester United is of particular concern to us."
"The Manchester United tour dates clash with the AFC Asian Cup™ (July 7-29) and AFC doesn't want any competitions to be promoted or organised during the month of July," continued the AFC chief.
"If the tour goes ahead then it will be a breach of the OAA (Organising Association Agreement)," said Bin Hammam.

from AFC Official Website @ www.the-afc.com

[Where the issues started]

Man United chief 'sad' at AFC over Asian tour

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 (Reuters) - Manchester United chief executive David Gill is 'sad and disappointed' that his team are not welcome in Malaysia, according to local media on Thursday.
Gill wrote to Malaysia's Tourism Ministry after the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) bowed to pressure from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which does not want any football event to clash with its flagship tournament, the Asian Cup, from July 7-29.
United were due to play in Kuala Lumpur against a Malaysian select team on July 27, two days before the Asian Cup final in Jakarta.
The AFC and FAM had signed an agreement last year in which the Malaysians were barred from promoting any other football event in July.
'We are extremely sad and disappointed to hear that we are not welcomed,' Gill's letter was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times on Thursday.
'Malaysia is our second home. We played there in 1995, 1999 and 2001 - more than anywhere else in Asia.
'We are proud to come and celebrate (Malaysia's) 50 years of independence and it's a once in a life-time celebration. We were very much looking forward to celebrating with our fans (in Malaysia).'
Malaysian fans also expressed their disappointment.
UPB-Myteam president Khairy Jamaluddin was quoted by the paper as saying: 'I don't think the MU tour will take anything away from the Asian Cup. In Malaysia, we are passionate about football and we cannot get enough of it.'
Lawrence How, president of Malaysia's Manchester United Fan Club, said: 'I am not surprised that (the fans) are upset. You must remember that many of the fans cannot afford to visit Old Trafford to watch United play.'
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong-based promoter of the United tour, which also includes matches in Japan, South Korea and Macau, is confident the Malaysian part of the programme will continue.
'All four legs will go ahead as planned,' Paul Kam, chairman of ProEvents Management Ltd was quoted as saying by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post. 'There is a lot of speculation going on, but everything will be resolved soon.'
The paper said that Macau organisers would cancel ticket sales on June 2 should promoters fail to provide proper assurances that United will play there.

by Soccernet.com

Malaysia PM insists Man Utd fixture will go ahead

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 (Reuters) - Malaysia will defy the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and host Manchester United in July, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi insisted on Friday.
The AFC had angered Malaysians earlier this week by ruling out a United friendly tour match in Malaysia because it would clash with its flagship tournament, the July 7-29 Asian Cup.
Banking on their huge fan base in Asia, United had been due to play in Kuala Lumpur against a Malaysian select team on July 27, two days before the Asian Cup final in Jakarta.
The match had looked to be off when the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) bowed to AFC pressure and said United were no longer welcome.
However, the Malaysian Prime Minister joined in the fray on Friday, telling reporters the game would go ahead as scheduled.
"We want them to visit Malaysia because this year is Visit Malaysia Year... if Manchester United play in Kuala Lumpur, there will be a lot of Manchester United fans around this region, including from Singapore and Thailand, coming here."
"We hope the organisers will not cancel the game. This is the wish of the government as part of Visit Malaysia Year," he said.
AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam has accused United of being disrespectful by organising a pre-season tour which clashed with the Asian Cup.
The AFC and its Malaysian affiliate had signed a deal last year in which the Malaysians were barred from promoting any other soccer event in July.
United chief executive David Gill said this week he was "sad and disappointed" that his team were not welcome in Malaysia.
The Hong Kong-based promoter of the United tour, which also includes matches in Japan, South Korea and Macau, had expressed confidence the Malaysian part of the programme would continue.
"All four legs will go ahead as planned," said Paul Kam, chairman of ProEvents Management Ltd. "There is a lot of speculation going on, but everything will be resolved soon."
United kick off their pre-season tour against J-League champions Urawa Reds in Saitama on July 17 before travelling to South Korea to play FC Seoul on July 20.
They play China's Shenzhen FC in Macau on July 23 and were planning to finish with a match in Kuala Lumpur on July 27.
The Asian Cup runs from July 7 to 29 and is being hosted by Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Japan have won the last two Asian Cups, in Lebanon in 2000 and in China in 2004 when they defeated the hosts 3-1 in the final.