MADRID, June 3 (Reuters) - Real Madrid have
cut short plans for a major pre-season tour of Asia and the United
States because of their failure to earn direct qualification for next
season's Champions League, the club said on Thursday.
Real will now make a brief trip to Japan between July 27 and August 1
to play two exhibition matches before making an immediate return to
Madrid.
The club said that the opponents and venues of the games had yet to
be confirmed. On their return Real will prepare for the first leg of
their Champions League qualifying tie which is set for August 10 or 11.
After a miserable run of five league defeats in a row, Real finished
in fourth place in the Primera Liga behind Deportivo Coruna, Barcelona
and champions Valencia.
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