The Manchester derby in Beijing has been called off less than six hours before it was due to be staged at the National Stadium due to concern over the pitch, with Manchester United stating they and Manchester City took the decision jointly. We had our groundsman working for 10 days on the pitch, but the conditions were just too dangerous for the players. Despite these valid concerns the decision not play what would have been the first derby overseas is an embarrassment for each club. United are due to fly home from Beijing as planned on Monday night. The defender Vincent Kompany said: “It’s sad for us, it’s sad for our fans.

Source: The Guardian July 25, 2016 07:16 UTC