Manchester United and Real Madrid have become embroiled in a series of rows over their pre-season training camp in Los Angeles.
The two European rivals have fallen out to such an extent over hotels and training facilities after both choosing LA as their base that organizers of the International Champions Cup and promoters Relevent Sports have had to step in to keep the peace. One insider described the situation as ‘a nightmare’ on Wednesday night.
United arrived in California first on Sunday and appear to have stolen a march on Madrid.
They secured the prized Montage Hotel as their team hotel and also claimed the training pitch at Drake Stadium on the UCLA campus which gives Jose Mourinho and his players more privacy.
United’s pitch is closer to the dressing-rooms and also has outside swimming pools to help the players to cool off quickly in the soaring heat on America’s west coast.
Madrid arrived on Tuesday and had to settle for the Beverley Hills Hotel while using a smaller training pitch close to Drake Stadium.
Mourinho, who has always favored UCLA as a training base and brought Real here when he was in charge at the Bernabeu, will be happy to have outmaneuvered his old team.
The relationship between the two clubs has become increasingly strained in recent months with Madrid once again hovering around David de Gea, and United suddenly pulling out of protracted negotiations to sign Alvaro Morata last week when it became clear that Romelu Lukaku’s move to Old Trafford was back on.
United and Real will meet twice this summer with the ICC fixture in Santa Clara on July 23 preceding their European Super Cup clash in Macedonia on August 8.