Simone Inzaghi proud as Al-Hilal set up Club World Cup knockout stage clash with Manchester City
Al-Hilal showed they could compete with the best teams in the world when they held Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg to draws in their first two games under new coach Simone Inzaghi.
They have conceded just one goal in their three matches, sharing the best defensive record of the group stage with Paris St Germain and Monterrey.
Al-Hilal, majority owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, have signed a string of world-class players over the last two years including Neymar, Malcom, Ruben Neves, Marcos Leonardo and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Although Neymar has left the club and Mitrovic remains sidelined with a calf injury, the depth of the squad has allowed Al-Hilal to weather the pressure of the big stage.
Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi: 'Our goal was to achieve (being in) the group of the best teams in the world.
'It was not an easy task, but the team was well united. It fought during the three games for a great objective ... we were not coming here just to have fun, we were coming here to play a World Cup and we wanted to reach this stage.
'Now we'll have to play against Manchester City ... it's one of the greatest teams in the world. These are the games where you can improve and you can mature as a team, so I'm very proud.'
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Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
RG Snyman tells of shocking online trolling from Munster and Leinster fans
Trophies grow where RG Snyman goes, just ask Munster, Leinster and the ' hasn't been a trophy won by an Irish club since 2021 that the second-row wasn't involved in, there hasn't been a Rugby World Cup won since 2015 that he wasn't involved in is, as his black-metal music and mohawk-haired buddy Andrew Porter likes to say 'Vikin' brilliant!'.And possibly extra so for the difficulties encountered on the World Cup, Red URC, World Cup, Blue URC run that, sure enough spanned on-field well COVID, almost four years of injury, the death of his mother some 13,000km away, serial online abuse from some Munster fans and initial rejection from a section of Leinster fans following crossing the Red-Blue ' had seen the online abuse from the so-called red patriots, maintains it couldn't be avoided, but says it could have been worse if his was the type to be negatively affected by such in the background cowardly fact here is a shock for those keyboard warriors. for whom he had previously helped win their first trophy since 2011 and who had not asked to leave the Club but who was 'let go'."But to be honest," says Snyman with former Saracens and Scotland secondrow Jim Hamilton on the The Big Jim Show podcast, of the online abuse though the summer and Autumn of 2024, "it didn't really affect me negatively. "I kinda saw it as an opportunity when I got to Leinster as most of those fans would still be watching Leinster and I'd have the opportunity to play Munster twice a season again so I kinda used that to drive me and to show what I can do on the field if I stay fit."There was also that initial cold-shoulder of a Leinstr cadre, bet they feel foolish now!It has been quite the 12 months: "You have people swearing as you go, I had people swearing, well you could kinda hear them swearing as I left and I got to Leinster and they were still swearing at me a little bit when I started!"It is actually crazy to see the differences between the two. It (Munster and Leinster) is essentially the same place, the two are so close to each other but it's vastly different in terms of the teams and how people support it and how people look at the game, and the cities and the stadiums and everything."At Munster it was all about the rugby and all about Munster and it is kinda what Limerick does and keeps people going there."Whereas in Dublin it is obviously a bigger city, there is so much going on there but there is such a big fan base towards Leinster so it was good for me, going from struggling a little, things not going the way I wanted it to in Limerick."But learning a few hard lessons there, making a few good friends in Limerick and then moving up to Dublin which was essentially only for one season (signed one-year extension in March 2025) initially but then making the most of the opportunities when I got here."It (both times) was easy for us to stay in Ireland as well."The big South African can understand supporter's passions, in a way he has had an interesting best of both worlds when it comes to fans, the Irish and the South Africans are oh-so similar and by that he means, brilliant. "The fans from both countries are kinda similar and that's from the experience I've had of both countries."It is great to see really because it's a very similar fan, they both love their countries and their teams so much and they are not afraid to hold back, especially online."I feel like Irish fans and South African fans, as much as they would hate to admit it, are very similar in the things they say and the lengths they go to support their team."But there were a number of sides to what happened during the Limerick-Dublin switch, not least as the destination was a 'crazy story', a coincidence, as the player was about to lift up the phone to Johan van Graan at Bath. "So that's exactly it, most of it (the on-line) was directed at me, there wasn't a lot of people kinda seeing my side of it."I guess rightly so, you can understand the frustration from the fans and given the four years I've had there it was obviously difficult for people and then I'm going to their biggest rival but in one sense it was a decision that was taken out of my hands a little."If I had the opportunity then to stay at Munster I probably would have but the opportunity wasn't presented to me so I was going somewhere anyways and the big thing for us was to stay in Ireland because we enjoy the people and enjoy the culture and it was a little bit of a crazy story, obviously I was looking at where am I going to go next."I was looking at maybe joining back up with Johan van Graan at Bath and then Jacques (Nienaber) phoned me from Leinster and obviously that's a big opportunity."What if I was to join a great club and work with Jacques again? So, yeh, everything kinda fell into place and while the opportunity was there, I had to grab it and I guess everything just kinda worked out in that way. Luckily this worked out for me this season."Naturally there weren't many keem to take the situation personally with the six-foot-nine, 131kg who looks like a berserker (itals) from central casting although in a throwaway line hh explains one of the things he about Ireland is that people want to speak with you 'for a little bit at check-out...'."I came into contact with some of it, the on-line and social media and stuff. I think we all like to say we try to avoid it but nowadays you can't avoid it and you certainly can't avoid all of it."But that abuse is not the entire picture, Snyman suggesting the brutal world of club rugby outside of Ireland may well have chewed him up - there was something about Munster he will always feel as special and that he will appreciate."The four years at Munster was probably the four toughest years of my life and that's why I am saying I will always be grateful to the people I met and supported me there. I don't think I would have coped with it as well if I wasn't in that environment, I will always be grateful for the lessons I've learned there."But just to go over it, I got there during COVID, there wasn't much going on, the squad was split up so we didn't even meet everyone when we got there. First game is in Aviva (Dublin), no fans, played against Leinster, seven minutes in, I jump in a line-out - ACL injury."So now I am a little bit 'okay everything is going to be fine, go through surgery, get back...'."There was a little bit of complications with the surgery so it took a bit longer and then just before I got back out there, there was the infamous fire pit accident so I had to deal with that and then in that period I also lost my mom so that was a really tough time for me."Went through all of that and then the emotional stress I could call it, I (was thinking) I could finally do my bit for the team on the field. I get back, three games on the bench and then Scarlets away."I'll never forget it, catch the ball off a kick-off, try and step off my left foot and my knee blows up again so the physio comes on the fild, tests my knee, I say 'don't even bother I know it's gone...'."So I walk off the field, I get the surgery again, obviously there is a lot more goes into it this time. The first time it was to the patella, this time it was to the hamstring."Again, get through all that, get back, we won the URC with Munster, a great highlight, especially in Cape Town that season because all my family could be there so that was quite a good memory."The relief, being back after an age of being out and the worry was auspicious."I'd just made it back in time to play for the Springboks because I'd missed all the tests essentially four years of tests from the World Cup in 2019,I'd missed."But luckily I get picked to go to the World Cup, an unbelievable win, and, literally, in the last few minutes of the final I tear my pec (pectoral muscle) and then having to make that phone call back to Munster 'Listen, bad news again....'."Not to make it all sound negative it was a really tough time for me. I never really understood what resilience meant but I feel I have a good idea of it now and that's something that kinda drives me now, is remembering those time when you couldn't go out there, you couldn't do your thing. "At the 'Boks we always talk about a bit of desperation and being desperate to be back in a team and doing something that you love."So Snyman will be here another year and the clever bet would be that if an Irish team were to win a trophy, it will more likely be Leinster than Munster or Connacht both of whom are under new management or Ulster who finished last of the four in the 2024/25 will, of course, be among the favourites for the Champions Cup, maybe just behind Youlouse or Bordeaux in the betting but likely ahead of Bath in the top four. Leinster will be favourites to retain the URC. The question as to why the recent Champions Cup remains unanswered although - and this is a pretty significant call from Snyman of Springbok physicality and Bomb Squad fame - they are not too small in either weight or height."The guys are physical, the guys here are big, if I look at them in the gym, guys are big and strong - it may be just about tuning into that at the time."We were maybe a bit disappointed in the semi-final, we felt we let ourselves down a bit, we know we are better than that and on the day we didn't produce it and that's when we need to come through in those big I don't have the answer for it."Belief can quite quickly go away if you haven't done it before, maybe that's something going forward we just might need to get our heads around."
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Simone Inzaghi proud as Al-Hilal set up Club World Cup knockout stage clash with Manchester City
Al-Hilal showed they could compete with the best teams in the world when they held Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg to draws in their first two games under new coach Simone Inzaghi. They have conceded just one goal in their three matches, sharing the best defensive record of the group stage with Paris St Germain and Monterrey. Al-Hilal, majority owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, have signed a string of world-class players over the last two years including Neymar, Malcom, Ruben Neves, Marcos Leonardo and Aleksandar Mitrovic. Although Neymar has left the club and Mitrovic remains sidelined with a calf injury, the depth of the squad has allowed Al-Hilal to weather the pressure of the big stage. Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi: 'Our goal was to achieve (being in) the group of the best teams in the world. 'It was not an easy task, but the team was well united. It fought during the three games for a great objective ... we were not coming here just to have fun, we were coming here to play a World Cup and we wanted to reach this stage. 'Now we'll have to play against Manchester City ... it's one of the greatest teams in the world. These are the games where you can improve and you can mature as a team, so I'm very proud.'
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
How Club World Cup feud was nearly THREE YEARS in the making as two stars ‘tried to offer each other out in the tunnel'
DENZEL DUMFRIES and Marcos Acuna's Club World Cup beef has been stewing for almost three years. The pair were involved in a heated on-field bust-up as Advertisement 6 Denzel Dumfries and Marcos Acuna's Club World Cup has been stewing for nearly three years Credit: Getty 6 Their rivalry dates back to the 2022 World Cup quarter-final between the Netherlands and Argentina Credit: AP 6 This time around Dumfries and Acuna were prepared to settle the feud in the tunnel Tensions boiled over at the end when River star Acuna, further enraged by the referee's decision to send off team-mate Gonzalo Montiel, squared up with Inter defender Dumfries. It had appeared Players and coaches from both sides rushed over to get in the way, with Inter players successfully ushering Dumfries off the pitch to be held in the tunnel, while Acuna had to be wrestled to the ground on the pitch to stop him going after his old foe. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL But this was not the first time the pair have clashed in a high-stakes game. Dumfries and Acuna, 33, previously met on December 9 at the 2022 World Cup in the quarter-final match between the Netherlands and Argentina, who would eventually go on to win the tournament. That heated clash had been one of the most memorable and feisty games of the entire Qatari tournament, with Dumfries and Acuna playing their part in the drama. Advertisement Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK However, the Dutch hit back with a stunning brace from But in the build-up to the shootout, Watch Argentina's Paredes spark mass melee after booting ball at Netherlands bench before Van Dijk wipes him out The South Americans would go on to win the shootout 4-3 after Emi Martinez saved kicks from Van Dijk and Advertisement Wild Argentina celebrations rubbing it in the noses of their European rivals saw Dumfries lose his head, and subsequently saw him get sent off AFTER the final whistle. But while Dumfries had to go away and lick his wounds then, he had the last laugh in their follow-up meeting earlier this week. Following their progression into the knockout stages, Inter's next match will be played out on June 30 in Charlotte, North Carolina . Meanwhile, and have both confirmed their places in the knockout rounds. Advertisement After finishing second in Group D - a - the Blues will take on on June 28. City beat 6 Argentina's win in the shootout in 2022 came after one of the most feisty matches in recent memory Credit: Reuters 6 Dumfries got himself sent off after the shootout for losing his head at the celebrations Credit: Reuters Advertisement 6 Other flashpoints in that game included Virgil van Dijk flattening Leandro Paredes after he kicked a ball at the Dutch bench Credit: Reuters Club World Cup 2025 Guide SOME of the world's biggest clubs are in action at this summer's Club World Cup in the United States! Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Man City, and Inter Miami are among the 32 teams taking part in the tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 13. The likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Cole Palmer and Harry Kane are showcasing their skills to packed crowds across the US. INFO Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup LATEST NEWS & FEATURES Club World Cup top scorers
