A frantic two weeks of preseason friendlies has seen three European clubs each visit Japan for the first time in as many as 19 years, with Bayern Munich (2008), Celtic (2006) and Inter Milan (2004) all making long-awaited returns.
But equally uncommon has been the arrival of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a second straight year — especially rare in an era when clubs with global fan bases often alternate their lucrative summer tours between Asia and the United States.
That decision, according to the club’s Asia-Pacific managing director Sebastien Wasels, represents its dedication to the continent, where it has established a regional office — in Singapore, with branches in Shanghai and Tokyo — over the last five years.