Turmoil a part of Asia tours

From security concerns to travel and accommodation woes, European teams have to adjust

Huge entourages, heavy security and demands for the sort of police protection normally reserved for heads of state.

For European soccer teams jetting across Asia, nothing is left to chance - but they sometimes run into problems anyway.

Today's money-spinning preseason tours are a far cry from 30 years ago, when the likes of Manchester United played friendlies against local sides, or at most hopped over to Ireland.

United, now a global brand, sent staff to Shanghai several times ahead of last week's friendly against Tottenham to ensure the Hongkou Stadium pitch was up to scratch.

Paris Saint-Germain dispatched a chef ahead of the team's arrival in each location in Asia to check that the food adheres to players' strict diets.

Security - which usually means keeping away overzealous fans - has been a primary concern for the clubs fanning out across Asia this month.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola was accompanied by a beefy escort as he made the short walk to the team bus inside Nanjing Olympic Stadium.

Autograph and selfie-hunters were left empty-handed.

City's guarded approach - its security detail was never far away - angered Chinese media, which accused the club of an "attitude of arrogance".

Guardiola retorted: "Maybe one journalist is a little bit upset, I don't know why, but it's far away from what is reality."