Bayern Munich abruptly cancel tour of Australia over money worries

Bayern Munich, one of the most successful football clubs in the world, will not be coming to Australia to take on the A-League All-Stars due to financial constraints.

According to German newspaper Bild, the Australian tour that was scheduled to take place at the end of May has been cancelled because the organisers were unable to meet the club's financial demands of 4-5million euros ($6.7 to $8.3million AUD).

The cancellation will be a major blow for football fans in Australia who have now been robbed of the chance to see some of the world's best players  in action.

The A-League All-Stars concept returned last year with a match against Spanish giants Barcelona, which attracted over 70,000 fans to Accor Stadium in Sydney.

The All-Stars team comprised players from the national competition and was coached by Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke.

Bayern Munich was expected to bring a star-studded lineup to Australia, including former Liverpool player Sadio Mane, German internationals Thomas Muller and Leroy Sane, and Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt.

The club has won six European Cup/Champions League titles and is widely regarded as one of the most glamorous and successful teams in football.

While the announcement will be disappointing for Aussie football fans, it will be a relief for the Germany-based players, who would have had to endure a grueling 30,000 kilometers of air travel to get to Australia and back.

'Well it would've helped if they played more than a single game after coming all the way here,' a fan posted.

Despite the setback, Bayern Munich is not giving up on its plans to promote the club in the Asia-Pacific region.

In preparation for the 2023/24 season, the club will be embarking on a tour of Japan and Singapore in late July. The tour will include a training camp and several test matches, including one against Kawasaki Frontale.