Bayern Munich Manager Carlo Ancelotti, Liverpool Manager Jürgen Klopp and Atlético Madrid Manager Diego Simeone became the first football coaches to take part in a press conference as holograms as Bayern Munich announced the teams for the 2017 Audi Cup. Ancelotti took his place on the podium in Munich, while Klopp and Simeone were presented as live holograms at the press conference. The fifth edition of the Audi Cup will take place in the Allianz Arena in Munich from Aug. 1-2 (Bayern Munich). ESPN.com's Mark Lovell reported a gymnasium inside Bayern's "state-of-the-art facility" transformed into a "futuristic scene from Star Trek to announce August's Audi Cup preseason tournament." Klopp "outed himself as a keen Trekkie" while accepting the tournament invitation on behalf of Liverpool in a "vivid orange training top" (ESPN.com, 5/13).
U.S. ACADEMY EXTENSION: Bayern Munich announced the extension of its partnership with U.S. football academy Global Premier Soccer. The partnership, which began in '14, aims to grow the level of the game in North America, bringing the Bayern coaching philosophy and curriculum to now over 85,000 children and 6,000 coaches in 101 football clubs in over 22 states. The extended partnership will see Bayern coaches double their presence in the U.S. (Bayern Munich).
