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Switchbacks to Host Bundesliga’s Mainz 05 in July

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 06/06/16, 3:38PM EDT

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2016-17 Europa League participant to visit Switchbacks Stadium for Freedom Cup

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC has become the latest USL club to announce a high-profile international exhibition, with Bundesliga club Mainz 05 set to visit Switchbacks Stadium on July 12. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. MT as the Switchbacks host the inaugural Freedom Cup, part of the Colorado Cup 2016.

Mainz 05 finished sixth in the Bundesliga this past season, which saw it qualify for the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League. The 111-year-old club was led this past season by Turkish international Yunus Malli, who had 11 goals in the Bundesliga, while Japanese international Yoshinori Muto and Spanish winger Jairo each had seven goals, with Jairo adding a team-high five assists.

The club is coached by Martin Schmidt, who joined the club in February, 2015. Mainz 05’s sixth-place finish this past season was the second-best finish in club history, and included a memorable 2-1 victory against world soccer power Bayern Munich on March 2 that saw Jairo and Jhon Cordoba find the net for the visitors at the Allianz Arena.

“The Switchbacks are very excited to host the first ever Freedom Cup here in Colorado Springs against Mainz 05 on July 12th," said Switchbacks President Nick Ragain. "Education is so important to creating supporters for life and this match is another way of forcing the casual observer to see that there is more to professional soccer than meets the eye.”

Among the club’s former players are Christian Fuchs and Shinji Okazaki, who were both part of Leicester City’s remarkable English Premier League title this past season, but the most notable figure in the club’s modern history is current Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp, who played the majority of his career for the club before becoming its head coach between 2001 and 2008.

The Switchbacks’ international exhibition joins those previously announced by OKC Energy FC against Liga MX’s Chivas Guadalajara, FC Cincinnati’s against the English Premier League’s Crystal Palace, the Richmond Kickers hosting the English Premier League's Swansea City, and the Charleston Battery’s against the Scottish Premier League’s Rangers F.C.

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