Melbourne Victory will play an Asian Champions League Champions League qualifying match at Kardinia Park on 15 February.
It’s opponent is yet to be decided, but will come from a group including Muangthong United (Thailand), Pune FC (India), Hanoi T&T (Vietnam), Tampines Rovers (Singapore) or South China (Hong Kong) who will battle it out in early February for the right to make the trip to Geelong.
Melbourne Victory CEO Ian Robson said the club was thrilled to be able to bring top-flight Asian football to Geelong.
“There’s no doubting the importance of this competition to our club and we are delighted to be able to play this crucial qualifier in Geelong,” Mr Robson said.
“As a club, we’ve hosted many community programs in Geelong over the years and have been overwhelmed by support for our club, while the popularity and growth football is experiencing down there is remarkable.
“We’ve got no doubt the people of Geelong and its surrounding areas will fully support this match, as well as our Melbourne-based fans, with many expected to make the trip down the highway.”
Melbourne Victory Coach Kevin Muscat said the club would put its best players on the park for the game.
“There are high expectations from the club, as well as our fans, for us to qualify and if we are successful we will take on some of Asia’s best teams – a mouth-watering prospect for all of us.”
The City of Greater Geelong’s Sport and Recreation portfolio holder Cr John Irvine said he was delighted to welcome Melbourne Victory back to Simonds Stadium.
“Melbourne Victory is one of the most exciting sporting clubs in the nation and we always relish the opportunity to host a side of this calibre in Geelong,” said Cr Irvine.
“The Asian Champions League is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the City of Greater Geelong and our magnificent Simonds Stadium in the international arena,” he said.
If Victory wins the single leg Geelong qualifier it will go straight through to the group stages of the ACL.
