The Yankees and Chelsea have some glaring similarities, big-spending powers in New York and London. So it’s seems natural that the first soccer game at the new Yankee Stadium should be the Champions League finalists against former coach Carlo Ancelotti’s Paris Saint-Germain club on July 22.
Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 on Saturday for its landmark seventh FA Cup. They also play at Bundesliga giant Bayern Munich on May 19 trying to win their first title in Europe’s top club tourney. Bayern Munich is the only club to play in a final it is host for.
Hired by Chelsea in June 2009, Ancelotti led Chelsea to an EPL-FA Cup double in his debut season, then got sacked hours after Manchester United edged them for the Premier League crown last May. PSG hired him on Dec. 30, and he has them vying for the French league title with two games left.
Tickets will go on sale beginning Wednesday, May 16. For updates and further details, visit http://www.yankees.com/soccer or follow @yankeestadiumsoccer on Twitter.
Yankees full- and partial-season ticket licensees, Yankees Universe members, Yankees Group Leaders and Yankees.com subscribers will have the opportunity to take part in ticket pre-on-sales prior to May 16.
The original Yankee Stadium was host to Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, A.C. Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, along with England, Italy and the United States. Pele and the Cosmos played there in 1976.
The match between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain is part of the World Football Challenge, which is taking place throughout North America from July 18 through Aug. 11.
Chelsea also plays at the Seattle Sounders on July 18 and will face the MLS All-Stars on July 25 in PPL Park in Chester, Pa.