Manchester United chief Ed Woodward defends decision to call off Beijing derby with Manchester City after bad weather left Bird's Nest Stadium pitch unplayable
- Man United vs Man City at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing called off
- Heavy rain had left the playing surface in a terrible condition
- United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward expressed his regret
- Both United and City promised they would play in China again
- Read: Manchester United and Manchester City composite XI
Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has defended the decision to call off their pre-season friendly against Manchester City in Beijing and promised to return to China in future.
The game was cancelled less than five-and-a-half hours before kick-off due to the poor state of the pitch at the Bird’s Nest Stadium following heavy overnight rain, with both clubs reluctant to risk the welfare of their players.
United will fly home on Monday having played just one game on their Far East tour – a 4-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund – but Woodward insisted that it would not affect plans to come back in future.
Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, seen here greeting manager Jose Mourinho
Mourinho prepared his players for the ill-fated friendly clash with Manchester City during a training session
The session took place at the Olympic Sports Center due to the poor playing surface at the Bird's Nest
‘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,’ said Woodward who only arrived in the Chinese capital on Sunday.
‘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.’
Manchester City will fly on to Shenzhen to play Dortmund on Thursday, and chief executive Ferran Soriano echoed Woodward’s comments about returning to China.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola did not come up against Mourinho on Monday inside the Bird's Nest
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had been worried about the state of the playing surface
The club sold a 13 per cent stake in the City Football Group to Chinese investors for £265million last year and are known to have bold plans in the Far East.
Soriano said: ‘We are very disappointed not to be able to play for our supporters here in Beijing. The players have been working hard in training to prepare for an exciting derby.
'We know how much everyone was looking forward to the game, but we understand that this bad weather is beyond anyone’s control, and that the rain has made it totally unsafe to play on this pitch.
‘It has been a pleasure and an honour to experience such a warm welcome from the people and supporters here in Beijing, and we remain committed to playing here in the future.’
Most watched Sport videos
- Dad or Ronaldo? World Snooker Champ Wilson's kids keep him humble
- Ed Sheeran takes the Ipswich team out for a promotion party
- Boy aged 10 dies after freak cricket accident
- PSG and Dortmund fans put on a spectacle ahead of UCL clash
- Jadon Sancho leads Dortmund stars in Adele rendition
- Dortmund boss Edin Terzic: It's a beautiful evening for the club
- Boy dies after being hit in the groin with a ball during cricket
- PSG boss: 'It's a sad feeling' as side exits Champions League
- Dortmund get the party started as they reach Champions League final
- Nunez storming down the tunnel was a 'dumb move'
- Bayern boss tells players to find their inner child at Bernabeu
- Mbappe asked whether he will support Real Madrid tomorrow