Great Inzaghi vs. Guardiola! Official: Manchester City will play preseason with Palermo on August 9

Manchester City's official website announced that it will play a pre-season friendly match with sister club Palermo to compete for the first Anglo Palermitan Cup. The match will be held on August 9 at Rezzo Barbera Stadium, providing Guardiola’s side with valuable warm-up opportunities before the 2025/26 Premier League season begins.

Palermo became the eleventh member of the city football group CFG in 2022 and opened its own football academy two years later. The historic Sicily club will be the fourth CFG team faced by Manchester City’s men’s football first team, after they have played friendly matches with Melbourne City, Yokohama Mariners and Girona.

Manchester City was invited to participate in the important celebrations in Palermo, and the club celebrated its 125th anniversary this year. The Anglo Palermitan Cup was set to mark Palermo's historic match against a British Mariners in 1900. This game will also be Palermo's new head coach and Italian World Cup champion Filippo Inzaghi's debut in front of home fans.

CFG Global Football Technical Director Ricardo Bigon expressed excitement for this all-CFG match: "We are very proud to announce the historic meeting between the two CFG clubs. From a technical point of view, this match provides a significant opportunity for players to continue their pre-season preparations, while also allowing the two coaches to implement their philosophy and make their respective teams better integrated on the court. However, this match also carries the cultural significance of the first encounter between the two historic clubs, paying tribute to Palermo's tradition and British origins. It is a game that fans of both sides will look forward to watching. The Anglo Palermitan Cup once again demonstrates the huge possibilities that can be brought to being a member of the City Football Group. We are all looking forward to seeing how the collaboration and knowledge sharing over the past three years have been reflected on the court."