New York City FC are crossing the Atlantic and heading to Manchester in February.
Ahead of their first campaign in Major League Soccer, Jason Kreis’ team will play two exhibition matches during a 10 day training camp at City Football Academy – the soon to be opened first team and youth development training facility next door to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
Two exhibition matches will take place at the 7,000 capacity Academy Stadium on the City Football Academy site on February 10th and 15th. Opposition to be announced shortly.
The visit marks a special period in the club’s short history, as New York City FC will train alongside sister club, Barclays Premier League champions, Manchester City FC at the new facility, which also provides a global headquarters for the wider City Football family.
Before departing for Manchester on February 6th 2015, the team will come together for the very first time during a warm weather training camp in Florida from January 24th to February 2nd, 2015. The team will train at Patton Park in Jacksonville..
From there, as previously announced, the team will travel back to the United States to compete in the Carolina Challenge Cup at the end of the month before the 2015 MLS season gets under way in March.
Head Coach Jason Kreis is certain that these plans give the squad the perfect spring board into their first campaign.
“It’s so exciting to be able to share the details of our first pre-season and to be talking about the squad coming together for the first time. It’s what we’ve all been working towards and it will be great to be with the team on the training pitch,” Kreis declared.
“The training camp in Florida will be vital in determining the condition of the squad, getting to know one another both on and off the field, and bringing us up to the fitness levels required to take part in high level football matches.”
“We’ve had plenty of time to talk, to research and to plan, so I am absolutely sure that we’re giving ourselves the best possible chance to hit the ground running in MLS. Pre-season should be a time to work hard and focus on the season ahead but it should also be fun, it needs to be a balance of both. Bringing a roster together for the first time is a challenge and I‘m pleased we have such a great pre-season planned to help us do that.”
Sporting Director Claudio Reyna revealed his excitement at using the prospect of being at City Football Academy in Manchester, stating his belief that New York City will be making use of a world leading facility.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to visit the site of City Football Academy at various points throughout its construction,” Reyna told NYCFC.com. “I can say with no reservations that we couldn’t be going to a better place to prepare for our historic first season.”
“City Football Academy has fantastic sporting facilities with everything we need for a great ten-day stay in Manchester, on and off the pitch. We’re all really excited about the new year and the prospect of seeing a team on the field in our shirt for the first time, and I know our supporters are to.”
Calendar
Florida training camp: 01/24/15 – 02/02/15
City Football Academy, Manchester: 02/06/15 – 02/16/15
Exhibition Match - 02/10/15
Exhibition Match - 02/15/15
Carolina Challenge Cup: 02/19/15 – 03/01/15
City Football Academy is an 80 acre site adjacent to the first-team stadium which includes:
- City Football Academy aims to secure City Football Group’s future by investing in the development of young talent, with 12.5 of the 16.5 pitches on the site dedicated to the development of youth talent.
- A new Academy for up to 400 young players with classrooms for 200
- On site accommodation for junior and senior players
- 16.5 football pitches, 12.5 of them dedicated to players aged from 8 to 21
- A state of the art first team building with changing rooms, gym, cafeteria and injury and rehab center.
- A 7,000 capacity stadium for youth matches
- Staff offices and a dedicated media center.
- A bridge linking the site to the Etihad Stadium and the rest of the Etihad Campus.
- 5.5 acres of land donated by the Club to the community on which is built a sixth form college with access to a football pitch exclusively for use by the local community.
