Inside Leeds United’s US tour, Japan rethink, Brazil-tested base and Under-21 support | OneFootball

Leeds United will take a 65-strong party to the United States this week for a football-first pre-season that carries a logistical burden described internally as 10-fold bigger than the last two Germany camps.

According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, planning began in December, with offers landing in January. A potential Japan itinerary, explored via Ao Tanaka’s national-team links and J1 League opposition, was ultimately set aside before the club settled on the US by the end of that month.

The tour was assembled by promoters TEG, with Liverpool acting as the Chicago-based anchor. Leeds weighed basing themselves in Tampa, but focused on New York’s new Red Bull facility, opened in the spring and stress-tested by Brazil for their World Cup camp, to create a stable hub for Daniel and head of performance Chris Domogalla.

A March recce covered New York, Tampa and Chicago, refining hotels and training options. The team will fly commercial from Manchester, then use internal charters, returning on a charter aircraft that Domogalla personally checked with the Paris-based provider to protect training time.

An advance group reached JFK on Monday to ready facilities. With specialist kit shipped, stateside purchases include supplies for 35 degree Tampa hydration breaks and photo frames so each player has a family picture in their room.

Players are due to eat on arrival, complete mobility work and start a double session on Wednesday. Senior players will have single rooms, while around nine Under-21s, covering for later-returning World Cup players, will share.

After fan-free games in Germany, Leeds will lean on the 49ers-linked Nickel Group and their own security to manage greater US interaction. The club are also set up for mid-tour signings, with medicals possible in the UK or on site, and Premier League status means Plan A goes ahead without an earlier restart.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk