Atletico Madrid have been confirmed as our second opponents in this summer's International Champions Cup in Melbourne.
Atletico are the fourth and final side to confirm their participation in the Australian leg of this global club tournament, which is taking place between 23 and 29 July at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
We face reigning Serie A champions Juventus in our opening match on Tuesday, July 26, before taking on Atletico on Friday, July 29. Both fixtures will kick off at 8.00pm local time (9.00am UK time).
The competition's opening match between Juventus and A-League champions Melbourne Victory will take place on Saturday, July 23, kick off 7pm (8.00am UK time).
Currently second in La Liga, Atletico are one of Spain's most successful clubs with ten league titles and ten Copa del Rey trophies, as well as two Europa Leagues and one European Cup Winners' Cup to their name.
Like Juventus, Atletico have advanced to the last 16 of this season's Champions League where they hope to overcome PSV Eindhoven, having previously finished as runners-up in the competition as recently as 2014.
The fixture will also see our Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino come up against his former international teammate Diego Simeone, who has been in charge at the Vicente Calderon since 2011.
"Diego and I started coaching at the same time," said Mauricio. "He is a good friend of mine and a great coach so I look forward to seeing him again in Melbourne this summer.
"The announcement of Atletico Madrid as the fourth team in the International Champions Cup Australia is a great addition to this competition. Playing two of Europe's best teams in Melbourne will be a strong test for us and we hope to put on a great show for our fans in both matches as a way of thanking them for their incredible support throughout this and every season.
"We loved our experience in Australia last summer. We still talk about the amazing support we received and so we are all really looking forward to experiencing even more when we return in July."
Tickets for the 2016 International Champions Cup Australia, are available to purchase now from here
As always, the Club is also proud to offer supporters a wide range of hugely popular events during our stay in Melbourne including autograph signing opportunities with players, supporter evenings with Club legends and football coaching courses. This will include activities and events with our official shirt partner, AIA, who are also a proud partner of the AIA Vitality Miniroos in Australia.
Keep an eye out across our club channels for further updates on the many fan engagement activities we have planned during our stay in Melbourne.