English Premier League football club Chelsea will play a pre-season friendly match at Perth Stadium, the under-construction Australian venue that is scheduled to open in March 2018.
Chelsea has reached an agreement with Perth Stadium operator VenuesLive and Tourism Western Australia to play A-League team Perth Glory at the 65,000-capacity venue.
The match will be played in late July or early August in 2018. Stadium operators said the match is expected to attract 15,000 interstate and international visitors and generate around A$15m (£9m/€10.6m/$11.3m) for the Western Australia tourism industry.
Chelsea, currently eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table, will become the first international football team to play at Perth Stadium. The deal also features other club-related activities in Perth, including open training sessions and grassroots training clinics.
Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett said: “With such a strong and appealing brand and millions of followers around the globe, Chelsea Football Club will help shine a light on our city. I look forward to welcoming players, officials and fans to Perth and I trust everyone will enjoy the many unique experiences on offer in Western Australia.”
Perth Stadium is also scheduled to host AFL Aussie rules football matches, as well as cricket, rugby union, rugby league and entertainment events.
Chelsea last travelled to Australia in 2015, when the club faced Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium.
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