Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04 is reportedly visiting China this July and will hold an exhibition friendly with the Chinese Super League's two Guangzhou squads, Evergrande Taobao and R&F, in still undisclosed venues, said the event's organizers during a recent press conference in Guangzhou.

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The Miners are one of the best teams in Germany this season as the squad finished in the fifth spot of the German top flight table. With their top five finish, Schalke was able to gain a berth in the UEFA Europa League next season, although they missed the opportunity to participate in the UEFA Champions League as only the top four teams were given the privilege.

Head coach Markus Weinzierl's boys will first face Guangzhou R&F on July 5 before squaring off with the China top flight's five-straight defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande on July 7, China Daily reported.

"Schalke 04 are a very strong side with many international players. It will be a very good opportunity for us to promote Guangzhou and Chinese soccer," Blue Lions manager Dragan Stojkovic said during an interview, as per Xinhuanet.

The organizers also confirmed that Die Knappen stars such as team vice-captain and Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Argentine forward Franco Di Santo, and Japanese right back Atsuto Uchida will all participate in the said exhibition matches to reach out to their Chinese fans during the visit.

The two Guangzhou teams are having opposite campaigns in the CSL this term with the Southern China Tigers still looking to be on their way to a sixth straight first division title while the Blue Lions are struggling to climb out of the bottom half of the league standings.

Guangzhou Evergrande continues to be on top of the CSL table with 36 points, six points ahead of second-running team Hebei China Fortune and seven points adrift of third-placed squad Jiangsu Suning.

Meanwhile, Guangzhou R&F is currently at the 11th spot of the overall standings, only a point above 12th-placed team Chongqing Lifan and four points away from the bottom two relegation zone.

TagsChina Football, Chinese Super League, Chinese Super League news, FC Schalke 04, Bundesliga, Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC, Guangzhou R&F FC