Anfield friendly date for Atletico Madrid
Jun 12 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
LIVERPOOL are hoping to host Atletico Madrid in a pre-season curtain raiser at Anfield.
The Reds have pencilled in Friday, August 8 – the weekend before the Premier League kick-off – for the clash with Fernando Torres’ old club.
And with Atletico having qualified for the Champions League for the first time the clash will give Liverpool an ideal preparation for their own Champions League qualifier just a few days later.
The friendly has still not been confirmed, but Reds chief executive Rick Parry revealed today that the clubs have been in discussions and were hoping to reach an agreement soon.
It is five years since Liverpool have played an Anfield friendly, when ironically Rafa Benitez was in the opposing dug-out as Valencia manager, plotting a 2-0 win.
More than 43,000 watched that clash, and another Anfield sell-out would be virtually guaranteed with several new faces likely to be included in the Reds line-up.