Manchester United clash with Manchester City cancelled after bad weather strikes Beijing
Pre-season match in International Champions Cup at Bird's Nest stadium postponed
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clash with Manchester City in Beijing has been cancelled after freak storms struck the Chinese capital and wrecked the pitch.
Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola had been due to lock horns at lunchtime in a pre-season friendly at the Bird's Nest stadium.
But torrential rain has taken it's toll on the already poor pitch and the International Champions Cup match is now off.
The decision to cancel the eagerly awaited game - which pitted the two rival managers together for the first time at their new clubs - was taken five hours before kick-off as the pitch conditions took a turn for the worse.
But 50,000 fans had paid between £60 and £250 for tickets for the first Manchester derby to be staged abroad.
United boss Mourinho had been dreading the match after seeing the playing surface inside the stadium that hosted the Olympic Games in 2008.
Mourinho admitted he was not concerned about the result and just wanted to make sure none of his players were injured in the game.
And City boss Guardiola was just as concerned in the build-up to the match which was supposed to be the commercial showpiece of both club's tours to the Far East.
City even flew out their own groundsman to help lead a team of 70 people working on the pitch, which had been infected by fungus over the last few weeks.
The build up to the game had already descended into farce with both club’s pre-match press conferences and training moved from the Birds Nest to a near by stadium.
City boss Guardiola needed a towel to wipe his face due to the heat during his press conference.
United simply refused to have it in the same room due to the temperature and instead held it outdoors.
A spokesperson for United said of the cancelled game: “Due to recent weather events, tournament organisers and participating clubs have made the decision to cancel tonight's International Champions Cup fixture .”
It has been a nightmare start to life in charge of United for Mourinho who wanted better time to spend getting to know his new squad.
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Instead he has been forced to conduct pre-season sessions in humid conditions which have seen him have to go easy on the work schedule.
Conditions in Shanghai were far from ideal as his side crashed to a 4-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in their first game.
And Mourinho was dismissive about the City match, saying he just wanted to get back to Manchester to link up with the rest of the squad who were training at Carrington.
Guardiola has been just as hesitant about travelling to China in pre-season for ICC matches against United and Dortmund.
He said: "We know the humidity for training is not ideal but we also know it is important to come here to know the people.
"We don't want to expend too much energy in training because of the humidity, but we stay here, we play, and then go back to Manchester for two more weeks of preparation."
United will fly home immediately, but City now face having to stay in China where they take on Dortmund on Thursday.
Martin Blackburn's Manchester City Tour Diary
THE storms and torrential rain never materialised - but it still wasn't enough to save the game.
The 'derby' against United at the Bird's Nest was called off around five-and-a-half hours before kick off.
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain and chief operating officer Omar Berrada were part of a club delegation who had a 90 minute meeting to discuss whether the game could be saved.
But in the end it was unanimously agreed by the organisers and both clubs that it would have to be scrapped.
Strangely it has hardly rained since the City squad touched down here on Friday - yet the damage was done by the storms last week.
And having got up close to the pitch by sneaking past security, I have to say it was the right decision.
Outside the stadium, there were plenty of disappointed City fans - one group of Mancunians had come all the way from Moss Side.
At least they will get their money back for the tickets - which were priced from £60-£300 - as the organisers have promised full refunds.
Inside, everything had been set out in the home team dressing room for the arrival of Pep Guardiola.
There were towels on each seat, a kettle with cups in the middle and even a few bottles of Head and Shoulders - so Joe Hart would have been happy.
City's plans to fly to Shenzhen - where they will play Borussia Dortmund on Thursday - remain unaffected by the postponement.
They will still make the three hour flight on Tuesday monring - with Guardiola due to face the media again on Wednesday.