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Real Madrid, one of the most storied franchises in international soccer, will play an exhibition match against Real Salt Lake in Utah on Saturday, Aug. 12, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned.

Emilio Butragueno, the vice president and general manager of Real Madrid, confirmed that plans for the match - which was first reported as a possibility by The Tribune - have been finalized. "We are excited about this game," Butragueno said Friday afternoon.

"I think it is an opportunity for Real Madrid to extend our relationship with Real Salt Lake City and the football fans over there." The most likely venue for the match are Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake or Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo. According to Butragueno, Real Madrid's "best players" will participate in the exhibition in order to assure American soccer fans of a "worthwhile experience."

Ivan Bravo, the international development manager for Real Madrid, confirmed to The Tribune that his club's top stars will play in Utah, including David Beckham and Renaldo.

"That is the way we do tours," Bravo said.

"First and foremost, we are interested in reaching out to the fans and making an impact. .. We are very committed to bringing the best team we have." At the same time, Butragueno believes the trip will be a good experience for Real Madrid's players.

"This is a chance for them to see a new culture and a new people," he said, "and this is very important for Real Madrid. We try to be a global club and, in our opinion, the United States will be a very big player in football in the future."

Butragueno said it is too early to pinpoint Real Madrid's arrival date in Utah, but "... we will try to fulfill everyone's expectations" once the team reaches Salt Lake City. Paul Beck, the immediate past president of Utah Youth Soccer, is certain Real Madrid won't disappoint anyone during its visit. "It's very exciting," Beck said.

"When Real was founded they promised to bring world-class soccer to Salt Lake and that's exactly what they're doing.

"Real Madrid is one of the premier franchises in the world. They will be bringing icons of the game to Utah just one month after the World Cup final. They could be even bigger icons by the time they get here."

Asked if youngsters in Utah will know the caliber of soccer they will see during the exhibition match, Beck laughed.

"You'd be surprised how many kids follow the European leagues on TV," he said.

"They watch more games than I do. .. The players who are coming are icons to kids in youth soccer."

Beck expects interest in the exhibition will spread throughout the western United States. "This will be a destination match," Beck said.

"There will be youth teams coming from other states. But when you have David Beckham and Roberto Carlos and players like that coming in, it's worth traveling to see."