Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger isn’t a fan of the post-season tours and questioned the intention of clubs that engage in such activities, citing commercial pressures as the incentive, The Guardian reports.
Manchester City are familiar with such tours and travelled to Abu Dhabi after claiming the Premier League title to play extra games would’ve annoyed national team managers ahead of the World Cup.
Wenger believes these games are just extended holidays and have little meaning; the Frenchman is set to take his team to Singapore in July for the Barclays Asia Trophy.
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“A post-season tour is a nightmare,” Wenger stated.
“In pre-season, you have the players under pressure with the focus of starting the season well. A post-season tour, I always feel people come along to watch but the players are half on their holidays.
“It is a relaxed atmosphere with none of the intensity of a pre-season game. Maybe it is a holiday tour and good to have a relaxed atmosphere together but from a purely football point of view, there is not much meaning – let’s be honest.”
The Guardian suggests that Arsenal are set to travel the least out of their Premier League rivals, which could be a major benefit as it was for Chelsea last summer. The Blues remained in Europe whilst the likes of Man United and Liverpool traveled the world after a demanding World Cup and their magnificent start to the season backed-up their method.