Autzen Stadium to host storied European soccer clubs
03/22/16 | Women's Soccer
EUGENE – Autzen Stadium will play host to Ligue 1 champion Paris Saint Germain and Serie A stalwart F.C. Internazionale on Sunday, July 24 at 2 pm PT as part of the 2016 International Champions Cup, promoter Relevent Sports announced today.
The event will mark the first international soccer match ever at Autzen and features two of the biggest and most well known clubs in the world. Both clubs are returning to play in the ICC, as F.C. Internazionale played in 2015 and Paris Saint-Germain won the 2015 ICC.
Exclusive presale tickets for the Paris Saint-Germain and F.C. Internazionale matchup will be available beginning Tuesday, March 29 at 10 a.m. PT while general public will have access to tickets on Tuesday, April 5. Fans can sign up at www.internationalchampionscup.com for access to the presale. All venue-specific and other ticket information is available at www.internationalchampionscup.com.
“Bringing an International Champions Cup match to Eugene and the University of Oregon is very exciting for us as we expand our footprint,” said Charlie Stillitano, Chairman of Relevent Sports.
“This will be the first international soccer match ever played at Autzen Stadium and we are thrilled to be part of such an exciting venture. Paris Saint-Germain just clinched their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title and F.C. Internazionale is one of the most recognizable teams of all time, so fans are in for a real treat.”
Autzen Stadium is no stranger to soccer as Oregon's varsity women's team called the venue home during the 1970s and 80s.
The 2016 International Champions Cup will run from July 23 – August 13 and play matches across the United States and throughout the world. Each team will play three contests and the club with the most points at the end of the tournament will be crowned champion. Each win in regulation will result in three points and a tie will go straight to a shootout; the winning team in a shootout will receive two points and the losing team will receive one.
In total, 10 teams from around the globe, including England (Liverpool, Chelsea F.C. Leicester City), Italy (AC Milan, F.C. Internazionale), France (Paris Saint-Germain F.C.), Spain (Barcelona, Real Madrid), Germany (FC Bayern Munich) and Scotland (Celtic F.C.) will compete in the 2016 International Champions Cup. This year's International Champions Cup features the most storied and successful clubs in the world, including many of the world's top players. The ten participating teams have won a total of 190 domestic league titles, 246 domestic cup titles and 36 UEFA Champions League titles. The teams feature 18 of the 2015-2016 FIFA Ballon d'Or nominees, as well as 50 of the top 100 players in the world as chosen yearly by renowned English magazine FourFourTwo.
Since being purchased by Qatar Sports Investment in 2011, Paris Saint-Germain has re-established its position as one of the top teams in the world. Founded in 1970, the club is one of the most successful in French history, having won nine French Cups and Ligue 1 five times, including each of the previous three seasons. Led by captain Thiago Silva and a vicious frontline featuring Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the club set the Ligue 1 record for points in 2014 with 89. With key additions such as the magnificent Argentine midfielder Angel di Maria, Paris Saint-Germain continues to further impact the global soccer landscape. For more information on PSG, please visit www.psg.fr.
F.C. Internazionale Milano, popularly known as Inter, is one of the most famous clubs in world football. Since its foundation in 1908, it has always played in Serie A and has captured 18 Serie A titles, three European Cups/UEFA Champions League, two Intercontinental Cups, One FIFA Club World Cup, three UEFA Cups, seven Italian Cups and five Italian Super Cups. In late 2013, Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir became the majority shareholder of the club. Thohir also owns Major League Soccer club D.C. United. The club is currently managed by Roberto Mancini, who returned in November of 2014 for his second stint as club manager. The roster is led by their exciting Argentine captain and leading goal scorer Mauro Icardi along with his countryman Rodrigo Palacio and Croatian national Ivan Perišić . For more information on Inter, please visit www.inter.it.
In 2016, the International Champions Cup will once again be played across the globe, including standalone tournaments in both China and Australia. Clubs participating in the two overseas showcases include Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Juventus F.C., Atletico Madrid and Melbourne Victory F.C, providing even more fans from around the world the opportunity to see their favorite clubs live.
