Our first two matches will be played in Tokyo against Yokohama F. Marinos and Bayern Munich before we fly to South Korean capital Seoul to face Atletico Madrid.
Having gathered at the CFA for the start of pre-season training on Monday, Pep Guardiola’s squad flew to Japan on Wednesday.
Now Guardiola and his staff will focus on preparing for the meeting with CFG sister club Yokohama F. Marinos on Sunday 23 July at the Japan National Stadium in the country’s capital.
That match, as with all three during the tour, will be available for UK viewers via CITY+ or Recast.
While many City fans are aware of regular UEFA Champions League contestants Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, they may be more unfamiliar with the current Japanese champions.
Here we take a look at some key facts to know about our first opponents on tour…
Origin story
The team were founded in 1972 as Nissan Motor FC, based around the car manufacturer’s headquarters in the city of Yokohama.
Nissan, a CFG partner, have been based in Yokohama since they were founded in December 1933.
While it’s the second largest city in Japan by population, Yokohama lies in the Greater Tokyo Area just south of the centre of the capital city.
Lying on the Tokyo Bay, it is one of Japan’s major port cities and was one of the first trading points with Europe and the Americas in the 19th century.
Name changes
After registering for the newly formed J-League in 1992 and becoming professional, Nissan Motor became Yokohama Marinos. Marinos means ‘sailors’ in Spanish and is a reference to the city’s major port.
A merger with neighbours Yokohama Flugels in 1999 saw the addition of the letter F to the club’s name in order to represent the Flugels half of the club.
Some Flugels fans rejected the move and instead formed new city rivals Yokohama FC, who are now in the J1 League.
Ever presents
Yokohama F. Marinos are the longest serving team in the top flight of Japanese football, having played at the top level since 1982.
That also makes them, along with Kashima Antlers, one of only two teams to have competed in Japan’s top flight of football every year since its inception.
Home stadium
Marinos play at the 72,327 capacity Nissan Stadium in the Shin-Yokohama Park inland from the port.
Initially opened in 1998, it had the highest capacity of any stadium in Japan for 21 years until the National Stadium, where both of City’s games on this year’s tour will be held, was opened in November 2019.
It hosted two matches at 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup before four games of the 2002 World Cup final, including Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Germany in the final.
It was also the location for nine matches during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), including both the men’s and women’s finals.
Theme song
The club’s official theme song is “We Are F. Marinos” by Japanese duo Yuzu.
The song was first released in 2005, with the song being used at games to this day, often featuring a dance by mascot Marinos-kun on a pedestal on the running track of Nissan Stadium.
Kits and crests
Marinos’ crest comprises of red, white and blue – colours which also make up the club’s home kits.
Those colours are also a key feature of the Japan national side’s iconic and well-loved shirts throughout their long history in international football.
J1 League titles
As Nissan Motor, the club won the Japan Soccer League twice in 1989 and 1990, making them the fifth most successful club in that league’s 27-year history.
Since the rebrand of both league and club in 1992, Yokohama F. Marinos have won the J1 League on five occasions.
That includes two titles in the last four seasons, topping the table in 2019 and 2022.
The five successes in the J1 League era leaves F. Marinos second in the all-time table, three titles behind Kashima Antlers who dominated the division for much of the 2000s.
Joining CFG
In May 2014, F. Marinos became part of the City Football Group.
The network became a minority shareholder of the club, representing the first significant foreign investment in a J-League club.
Designed to expose F. Marinos to a world-class infrastructure, both City and Yokohama have continued to grow on and off the pitch since the deal.
Under Pep Guardiola, City’s men’s team are enjoying the most trophy-laden era in our history while Yokohama continue to compete at the very top of Japanese football.
Marinos are now one of 13 clubs in the group that currently spans five continents.
Postecoglou’s spell
New Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou enjoyed a superb three and a half years in charge at the Nissan Stadium between December 2017 and June 2021.
Before leaving for Celtic and taking several exciting J1 League talents with him, Postecoglou guided Marinos to their first league title in 15 years with the 2019 success.
His brand of football particularly attracted attention, with F. Marinos scoring an incredible 22 goals more than second placed FC Tokyo.
He was F. Marinos boss the last time City played our sister club, when Guardiola’s team won 3-1 in July 2019. Our manager was particularly complimentary of our opponents after that encounter.
“Yokohama played some incredible football and they were an incredible test for us. I knew how good they were and it was tough for us,” he said.
Famous players
Marinos’ current squad consists entirely of Japanese players, other than five Brazilian stars.
Premier League fans will recognise former Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic winger Ryo Miyaichi.
Although perhaps the most famous former Yokohama F. Marinos player is Shunsuke Nakamura. The creative midfielder, who played 98 times for Japan, started his career with the club and was named Japanese Footballer of the Year in 2000, while playing for his boyhood team.
He moved to Europe in 2002 to play for Serie A team Reggina before impressing at Celtic. However, he returned to F. Marinos in 2010 and was named captain the following season, remaining until 2017.
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