Real Madrid, one of the world’s most storied soccer teams, plans to train at UCLA in private practices from July 22 through July 28.
Practices are closed to the public.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Spanish squad will hold training sessions on UCLA’s North Athletic Field. The team will practice once or twice daily, at 10 a.m. and/or 5 p.m., excluding match days. Real Madrid will play against Inter Milan on July 26 at UC Berkeley’s California Memorial Stadium, against Roma on July 29 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and against Manchester United on August 2 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI.
Before and after Real Madrid’s practices at UCLA, there will be limited opportunities for autographs on Wilson Plaza when the players travel between their on-campus locker room and the North Athletic Field.
For years now, UCLA's pristine fields and top-notch athletic facilities have been a destination for European soccer teams.
"We are delighted to welcome Real Madrid to UCLA for the fifth year in a row,” said Richard Mylin, associate director of facility and event operations for UCLA Recreation. “The team’s summer practices at UCLA have become a tradition thanks to our unrivaled facilities and the fact that the field's privacy makes it ideal for this world-class team to prepare for its upcoming season.”
► Photos from 2012 visit at UCLA Newsroom on Facebook
Media should contact Matthew Berman, a communications official for Relevent Sports, with questions and to request credentials for the matches at least 48 hours before each training session. Limited portions of select practices at UCLA will be open to media only. To cover practices at UCLA, media will be required to present Los Angeles Police Department media passes or other professional media credentials. Information about which training sessions will be open to the media will be posted each day on Real Madrid’s website, realmadrid.com.
At UCLA, media should park in parking structures 4 or 7 ($12 per day or $1 per 20 minutes.) News vans taller than the 8-foot, 2-inch clearance can park at the very front of the bus cutout on Charles E. Young Drive North, or along the red curb in the northeast quadrant of the North Westwood Plaza turnaround, near the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Vehicles and news vans will be ticketed if they are parked in other red zones or non-parking areas. (Parking map, campus map)
The majority of the team’s news conferences at UCLA will take place in Korn Convocation Hall at the Anderson School of Management. Those scheduled for July 22 and 27 will be in the Morgan Center press room.
Real Madrid’s visit is part of the team’s preseason training, which will include matches in the Guinness International Champions Cup. (Tickets)