Leeds to play Wanderers in new stadium unveiling
High-flying EFL Championship club Leeds United will take on A-League outfit Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday 20 July to officially unveil the A-League club's new Stadium.
Marcelo Bielsa's swashbuckling side sits third in the Championship and will be hoping its trip to Australia comes at the conclusion of a successful Premier League-promotion campaign.
“Our incredible members and fans have waited a long time to see this stadium come to fruition and we cannot wait to play our first match there against a club with so much history and tradition in Leeds United,” Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas said. “This will be a historic event for the club and the people of Western Sydney and we look forward to working in partnership wth the Stadium to bring this match to life.”
NSW Minister of Sport Stuart Ayres confirmed as many as 5000 Leeds fans are expected to travel to Sydney for the match.
“This will be an occasion that every football fan in Western Sydney will want to be part of as the Wanderers line up against one of English football’s most famous clubs,” Minister Ayres said.
“The 30,000-seat Western Sydney Stadium is on track to open in April 2019 and Wanderers versus Leeds United will be a major sporting event in Western Sydney that will showcase the best live event experience in the country.
“The NSW Government is delivering major infrastructure which sets communities up for decades. Western Sydney Stadium is part of a multibillion dollar infrastructure spend on schools, hospitals, public transport, roads and cultural facilities.”
Leeds United CEO Angus Kinnear said the match will mark another milestone in the centenary season of the club.
“We are delighted to confirm that our club will travel to Sydney and play the Western Sydney Wanderers as part of our Australian pre-season tour in July 2019,” Kinnear said. “This match will be a fantastic part of our centenary season and we expect between 4000 to 5000 of our passionate supporters from all over the world to travel to Sydney and we look forward to seeing them all there.”