Arsenal set for Australia tour in 2017 as club announce new tourism deal

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Arsenal will play two games in Sydney in July 2017
Club have toured in Asia this year, and are seeking partnerships abroad
Arsenal last played in Australia in 1977, losing to the national team 3-1

Published: 20:06 EST, 8 December 2015 | Updated: 04:24 EST, 9 December 2015

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Arsenal will play in Australia for the first time in 40 years, as the club announced they will tour the country as part of their pre-season in 2017.

Under Arsene Wenger the club had previously kept away from the lucrative pre-season trips, but in recent years have enjoyed tours in south east Asia.

And in 2017 they will take the long trip down under, playing games against Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers.

Arsene Wenger's side will travel to Australia for a pre-season tour in 2017, the club have confirmed

Australian Arsenal fans will get the chance to watch some of the Premier League's best stars, like Mesut Ozil

The last time the Gunners visited the country was 1977, when they lost to the Australian national team 3-1 in a friendly, as well as playing Celtic and Red Star Belgrade in Sydney and Adelaide.

But a new tourism partnership with the New South Wales Government now gives Aussie fans the chance to watch the north London club again.

By then the club may well have a new manager in charge, with Arsene Wenger's contract due to expire in May 2017, two months before the fixtures.

That means that the games at Sydney's ANZ Stadium could well be the first for a new Arsenal manager.

The Gunners played in Singapore at the beginning of this season, but haven't visited Australia since 1977

Arsenal have moved towards the lucrative far-east tours in recent years, after resisting them for some time

Arsenal's chief commercial officer, Vinai Venkatesham, said: 'We are excited to enter into this partnership with the NSW Government and Destination NSW.

'As well as being our first partnership agreement in Australia, the deal is unique in combining a tourism partnership with pre-season matches.

'We look forward to working with our new partner to promote NSW, before bringing our first team to Sydney for two games in 2017 in front of our passionate Australian fans.'

Arsenal Asia