Soccer-mad Xi Jinping more blue than red: Was decision to visit Manchester City a deliberate snub to fierce rivals Manchester United?
Was president's decision to visit Manchester City a deliberate snub to club's fierce rivals, United?
Soccer fanatic President Xi Jinping will visit the home ground of the English Premier League club Manchester City on Friday - one of the last stops on his state visit to Britain.
For some fans, this will almost certainly stir up the club's rivalry with its Premier League neighbours Manchester United, even if United are being diplomatic about it.
"The president expressed a desire to see a regeneration project and the visit to Manchester City's site fitted that bill," said Phil Townsend, United's director of communications.
He said City's stadium was the venue for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, before the site's recent development.
"Manchester United, however, has an estimated 108 million followers in China and would be honoured to host the president in a future visit to Manchester."
There has been intense speculation since Xi's decision to visit City's stadium as part of his official schedule was revealed.
On Monday, Chinese media started circulating an article from Britain's Daily Mirror tabloid, which suggested that Manchester Council's leader Sir Richard Leese - a City fan - had lobbied the British government to make the arrangement.