Manchester City makes stop in Seoul with Premier League cup

Reigning champions Manchester City made their return to Korea as part of their global trophy tour, bringing with them the Premier League cup.

The Premier League trophy is put on display at SJ Kunsthalle in Gangnam District, southern Seoul as part of Manchester City's global trophy tour. [MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB]

Reigning champions Manchester City made their return to Korea as part of their global trophy tour, bringing with them the Premier League cup.

At SJ Kunsthalle in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, eager City fans lined up Sunday to get a closer look at one of the most coveted pieces of silverware in the world of football and also get the chance to take a 360-degree video with the trophy.

The team was joined by club mascot Moonchester, creating an exciting atmosphere for the Cityzens, especially after their 2-1 victory over Fulham at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

On the other side of the venue, some fans put their footballing skills to the test in front of City Football School coaches. While showing off their moves, they were able to learn about how City trained as they practiced everything from basic steps to turning a defender and shooting.

A Manchester City Football School coach teaches a child to play football at SJ Kunsthalle in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on Sunday. [MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB]

Shaun Wright-Phillips talks to Manchester City fans on Sunday at SJ Kunsthalle in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB]

The highlight of the event came when City legend Shaun Wright-Phillips joined the event. While this is the third time that Manchester City has visited Korea with the Premier League trophy after trips in 2018 and 2019, it marks the second time for Wright-Phillips who came in 2019. Paul Dickov toured with the trophy in 2018.

When Wright-Phillips was asked about whether he thought that City would win the Champion's League this season and defend their title, his answer was 'Yes!,' which was met with a huge cheer from the audience.

Korea is the ninth stop that City made with the trophy and is the penultimate destination on the tour. The final stop is in Japan next week.

Following the weekend's tragic events in Seoul, Manchester City made the decision to slightly delay the trophy events to Sunday to honor the national mourning period following the Itaewon Halloween tragedy which left over 150 mostly young people dead. They also held a one-minute silence and wore black armbands and ribbons during the event.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]