SINGAPORE - It was a rather mellow morning for Inter Milan's players as they arrived in Singapore on Wednesday (July 17) and were welcomed by a small band of about 20 fans at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach.
The determined fans had come armed with club memorabilia and pens as they awaited the arrival of the Italian outfit, who are the first of the four teams playing in this weekend's International Champions Cup matches to arrive.
Inter will meet Manchester United at the National Stadium on Saturday in a match that has long been sold out. The other match will feature Cristiano Ronaldo-led Juventus taking on Champions League runners-up Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Apart from a few calls from fans for photographs and autographs when the players alighted from the team bus, it was generally an inconspicuous affair.
While the players appeared to be tired from their flight from Switzerland, some like Belgian international Radja Nainggolan, who sported an iridescent bag, stopped to take selfies and sign several autographs for their supporters.
Newly-appointed coach Antonio Conte, who had previously come to Singapore as coach of English Premier League club Chelsea, cut a stoic figure as he headed straight into the hotel.
He took over the helm of the club after Lucas Spalletti left in May.
Inter's players, who were decked in blue polo tees and black and gold jackets, had given him his first win as Inter coach on Sunday when they played a pre-season friendly and secured a 2-1 win over Lugano.
One fan, Mr Melvin Phuang, had booked a room at the JW Marriot - which costs about $350 per night - with two fellow Inter supporters just to catch a glimpse of his idols in the flesh. The trio have booked the room for two nights and are prepared to extend their stay.
Mr Phuang, who helps run a family business, first started supporting the Nerazzurri two years ago, when they came for the ICC, because of striker Mauro Icardi, who was the club's joint top scorer in the 2017-18 Serie A season with 29 goals.
Unfortunately for Mr Phuang, the Argentinian, who has had a long-running contract dispute with the club, has not been included in the pre-season squad. Inter announced last Saturday that their former captain - he was stripped of the armband last season - had left their pre-season training camp in Switzerland and would not be with them on their summer tour of Asia. They are due to play Paris Saint-Germain in Macau on July 27.
Icardi's absence in the pre-season squad was a letdown, admitted Mr Phuang but the 34-year-old's mood was brightened considerably when Nainggolan, a player he was looking forward to meeting, signed his jersey.
Mr Phuang said: "I'm a bit disappointed (over Icardi's absence), but I'm going to frame Nainggolan's jersey."
