GUANGZHOU, Southern China, July 31 -- Spanish football giants Real Madrid arrived on Guangzhou on Sunday evening, starting their seven-day China Tour.
Hundreds of fans and reporters had waited for a long time at the arrival hall as the flight was delayed by more than an hour, which was rather a short time compared with the six years absence of the "Galacticos" in China.
The tour marked Real Madrid's first visit to Asia since 2005. The Spanish side will play two friendlies during the first week of August in Guangzhou and Tianjin respectively.
Bringing almost all their best players to China, Real will go for a win in full sail before the new season kicks off in late August.
Organizers said tickets for the first friendly were "almost sold out".
Apart from the two matches, the Spanish side has a busy schedule of meeting fans and contributing to charities, include building a football school in Guangzhou.
"We have more than 100 million fans in China and it is a great opportunity for us to get out here to meet with the fans and thank them for their support," said Emilio Butragueno, Real Madrid's Director of International Relations.
"We hope it could allow fans and football enthusiasts to get up close with their football heroes," he added.
"This is more than just a typical pre-season tour for us. As the biggest brand in football, we also seek to explore how we can help grow and develop the sport in China," he noted.