Man City arrange Melbourne City friendly in Queensland
Melbourne City have been denied the opportunity to host parent club Manchester City in front of their own fans.
Manchester City will take on sister club Melbourne City in Australia in a friendly held over 1,700 kilometres from the latter's home ground.
With Manuel Pellegrini's side set to take on Roma and Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup (ICC) next month, City will warm up with friendlies against A-League clubs Adelaide United and Melbourne City during a training camp in Queensland.
But although City the elder's ICC commitments are in Melbourne, the Manchester-based club will play their namesakes on the Gold Coast in Queensland on July 18.
The distance between Gold Coast's Cbus Super Stadium, where the friendly will be held, and AAMI Park - the home of Melbourne City - is approximately 1,746km.
The match against Adelaide - also at Cbus Super Stadium - is set to be held behind closed doors three days earlier.
The City Football Group - which owns Manchester City, New York City, Yokohama F. Marinos and Melbourne City - purchased the last of that quartet in January 2014 when the A-League outfit was known as Melbourne Heart.
In Heart/City's five-year existence, the club has struggled to build their supporter base.
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Missing out on the prospect of a high-profile friendly against a Premier League giant at home is unlikely to have impressed many at Melbourne City HQ.