When Fernando Torres takes to the field for Sagan Tosu against Shandong Luneng it will be his third visit to Hong Kong. But this will be his first Lunar New Year Cup , and with the greatest of respect to the Premier League Trophy Asia, this is a bigger deal. Torres came with Liverpool in 2007 and again with Chelsea in 2011 but that was for a glorified pre-season kickaround, the LNY Cup on the other hand is steeped in history and has long been a part of the city’s celebrations. Since the first Lunar New Year Cup in 1908, football has been a fixture on Hong Kong’s calendar and there are not many tournaments that can trace their history back over a century. This year the four-team format sees a Hong Kong League XI take on the might of Japan’s Sagan Tosu, Chinese Super League stalwarts Shandong Luneng and New Zealand powerhouses Auckland City. The resumption of battle between teams from the mainland and Hong Kong is a nod to where the tournament started and how it remained until 1950 when foreign teams were introduced for exhibition games against local clubs and Hong Kong representative teams. George Best, Bobby Moore and Arie Haan: when Hong Kong football attracted World Cup and Champions League winners The Lunar New Year Cup’s heyday came decades later but the groundwork for that was laid in the 1980s when sponsors were brought on board with the money was used to attract higher profile visitors. While the first sponsors were Swiss-Hong Kong watchmakers Solvil et Titus in 1983, Adidas took over the naming rights the following year. It was 1986 when it first became known as the “Carlsberg Cup”. The Danish brewer was briefly deposed by Marlboro before taking over again from 1993 to 2006, the glory days of the competition. Farewell, Marouane Fellaini: Fresh start in China for man who summed up Manchester United’s post-Ferguson identity crisis It was in 1993 that the invited teams were upped to three and the four-team tournament began. The club sides then became national teams meaning even better players brought to Hong Kong to ring in the New Year. Some of the best in the world followed the money to Causeway Bay, the pinnacle being the Brazil national team’s visit in 2005. The world champions thrilled the crowd with a 7-1 win over Hong Kong, including a wonderstrike from Roberto Carlos and Ronaldinho’s full repertoire of party pieces. Is Marouane Fellaini set to make his Shandong Luneng debut in Hong Kong? Lunar New Year Cup organiser confident former Manchester United man could star Over the years teams such as Sparta Rotterdam, Brondby, Sporting Lisbon, Partizan Belgrade and Slavia Prague have been to Hong Kong for the tournament. These were some of the biggest names in European football at the time. Korea’s K-League and the Chinese Super League have sent clubs, while leagues such as Romania and Denmark have sent select sides. In 2007, China and Jamaica both sent their Olympic sides ahead of Beijing 2008, while superstars such as Peter Schmeichel, Hristo Stoichkov and Rene Higuita turned out over the years. This year, as well as a World Cup winner in Torres, there could be an appearance from a player who finished third in Russia last summer in Marouane Fellaini. There is a case for the Lunar New Year Cup to be football’s most diverse football tournament, a case best showcased by Bora Milutinovic. The veteran manager brought China, Jamaica, Nigeria and Honduras to compete here over the years. Lunar New Year Cup: teams, schedule and ticket prices as Fernando Torres returns to Hong Kong Those days of big crowds in the stands and bigger names on the pitch were also major sources of income for the Hong Kong Football Association. At one point under Carlsberg they were making up to HK$3 million per year from the tournament. When Carlsberg pulled the plug on support in 2007, the HKFA were left to foot the bill to bring over Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, Uruguayan club Penarol and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai. That edition of the tournament left them HK$4 million out of pocket. Lunar New Year Cup: a history of stellar sides, superstars, sporting gestures and a royal wedding The last few years have seen the clubs take up the mantle from the HKFA, who passed over control in 2010. This change in direction did not dilute the talent brought over for the game. New York Cosmos were the visitors when South China organised the 2015 edition and Pele’s former club brought a team containing three-time Uefa Champions League winner Raul and Euro 2008 winning midfielder Marcos Senna. No takers: Lunar New Year Cup likely to be scrapped This year it is Pegasus who have led the Lunar New Year Cup organisation, and it is their players that make up the majority of the Hong Kong Select side. Nevertheless, the other Hong Kong Premier League sides have shown their support by allowing their players to take part. Hong Kong Premier League champions Kitchee have let three players join up with Kevin Bond’s squad despite the fact that the club faces a vital AFC Cup qualifier in Malaysia just three days later. That sense of community and the crowds expected at Caroline Hill Road show that the Lunar New Year Cup still has a place in Hong Kong’s heart even if it can no longer find a sponsor to reach into their pocket. As long as it goes ahead then people will be there to celebrate Lunar New Year at the match.