Motor racing-Cadillac F1 team managing expectations with limitless ambition
Al Hilal's coach, Simone Inzaghi, praised his team's "extraordinary" performance after their shocking 4-3 extra-time victory over Manchester City in the Club World Cup. Inzaghi credited the players for their effort, while City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged the defeat, highlighting Al Hilal's effective counter-attacks. This win marks a significant achievement for Inzaghi's squad, who have only recently come together.
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First Post
38 minutes ago
- First Post
Pep Guardiola, Enzo Maresca criticise FIFA Club World Cup after Jurgen Klopp: 'It's not football'
Pep Guardiola and Enzo Maresca have joined Jurgen Klopp in criticising the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, raising concerns over player workload and congested schedules. read more Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca have come out in support of Jurgen Klopp, who has labelled the FIFA Club World Cup as 'the worst idea ever implemented in football'. Klopp, currently Red Bull's 'head of global football', had told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that the FIFA World Cup has crowded the football calendar and it meant there was no time for players to recover mentally or physically. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Guardiola agrees with Klopp over Club World Cup criticism Agreeing with the former Liverpool manager, Guardiola said that he understands Klopp's arguments and would also 'defend them.' 'Jurgen – we fought together many, many times, I know where the idea comes from, we fought a lot in England, when we went to UEFA meetings, especially on the Premier League, (about) the calendar, to try to (increase the) quality,' Guardiola said before Man City's match against Al Hilal. More from Football 'So the players rest, and the managers rest, (then) you have more quality, so it didn't surprise me, I understand him, I respect him. 'I have an incredible relationship with Jurgen, when we were rivals… I understand his argument, because his argument I would defend as well.' However, Pep said, despite the criticism the tournament has received, he is 'proud' to be competing in the tournament. 'At the same time we're in a job, we follow FIFA, UEFA, Premier League, Serie A… the managers are not going to organise the competitions, everyone has their own role, they organise the competitions,' continued Guardiola. 'I have said many times, I am so proud to be here, because in the end many, many teams complain about the competitions, because they are not here, otherwise they would love maybe to be there. 'Their media will be here, their supporters will be here, there will be their income in terms of money to be here, and they will be happy to be there.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Nonetheless, Man City on Monday after losing to Al Hilal on Monday. Maresca blasts weather rules of FIFA Club World Cup in US Chelsea's Maresca criticised the in the USA as the match against Benfica on Saturday was suspended for almost two hours due to a thunderstorm in Charlotte. Italian manager Maresca was unhappy that the match lasted for four hours and 38 minutes due to US safety regulations forcing Chelsea and Benfica to go off the pitch. The whole game lasted for four hours and 38 minutes. 'It's not normal to suspend a game. In a World Cup, how many games are suspended? Probably zero. In Europe, how many games? Zero,' said Maresca. 'For me personally, it's not football. You cannot be inside for two hours. It is something completely new,' said Maresca, who questioned whether the U.S. - along with Mexico and Canada - would make a suitable host for next summer's World Cup finals. 'I can understand that for security reasons, you are to suspend the game. But if you suspend six, seven games that means that probably is not the right place to do this competition,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Who are Al Hilal? Meet the Saudi giants who humbled Manchester City
Al Hilal defeated Manchester City 4-3 after extra time in the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, and now advances to face Fluminense in the quarterfinals/ Image: X Al Hilal Saudi Arabia has spent billions in its bid to become a powerhouse in world football. On Monday night in Florida, under the floodlights of Camping World Stadium, a significant return on that investment was felt. Al Hilal, the pride of Riyadh, stunned European champions Manchester City 4–3 in one of the most dramatic Club World Cup matches in recent memory. The drama of the match was undeniable, seven goals, extra time, and moments of individual brilliance. But its true weight lay beyond the pitch. This result was less about the chaos of a single game and more about a calculated rise reaching unmistakable visibility. What unfolded in Orlando was not an anomaly. It was the outcome of years of strategic ambition, a declaration, loud and clear, that Saudi football is not just showing up. It's showing teeth. Who Are Al Hilal? Owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the same $700 billion sovereign fund that owns Newcastle United, Al Hilal form the cornerstone of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's grand sporting rebrand. alongside Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, and even Newcastle United, they're part of a quartet of clubs taken under direct state control in 2023. Al Hilal are the crown jewel of Saudi football's ambitious renaissance. Their dazzling new 26,000-seat Kingdom Arena in Riyadh stands as a concrete proclamation of intent, part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's sporting makeover of the kingdom. The Night the World Noticed For all their regional dominance, there's always been one lingering question: can Saudi clubs compete with Europe's elite? That question was answered, emphatically, when Al Hilal toppled Manchester City, a club many consider the final form of modern football. The irony wasn't lost: Pep Guardiola's side are also backed by a Gulf state (Abu Dhabi's City Football Group), also engineered for global dominance, also armed with lavish resources. The difference? City had the Champions League . Al Hilal had a point to prove. And on this night, the point was made, with style. Marcos Leonardo starred with two goals, including the 112th-minute winner. Malcom, the forgotten Brazilian once of Barcelona, turned in a dazzling performance. Kalidou Koulibaly, the Senegalese rock, scored from a set piece. And Bono, the Moroccan goalkeeper who became a World Cup cult hero, saved ten shots to deny City a fifth goal. When Phil Foden's brilliant volley made it 3–3 in extra time, it felt like the Premier League machine might still power through. But Al Hilal held their nerve, showed their teeth, and refused to bend. The Stars Behind Al Hilal's Rise Al Hilal's squad is a mosaic of global ambition and local loyalty: Marcos Leonardo: At 21, the Brazilian striker has 17 domestic goals and is quickly becoming the face of Saudi football's next generation. Aleksandar Mitrović: The battering ram. With 19 goals this season, the former Fulham forward is the hammer that breaks defensive lines. Salem Al-Dawsari: The heartbeat of Saudi football, known worldwide for his World Cup goals but revered in Riyadh for his consistency and flair. Malcom: Revived from obscurity, the Brazilian winger has rediscovered his spark on Saudi soil, fast, direct, and fearless. Rúben Neves: Once captain of Wolves, now the metronome of Al Hilal's midfield. A symbol of the league's new pulling power. Kalidou Koulibaly: Leadership incarnate. Brings steel and swagger to the backline. João Cancelo: On loan but undeterred, the Portuguese full-back adds thrust and creativity, roaming like a winger with a license to thrill. Yassine Bounou (Bono): The smiling assassin in goal. His reflex saves have turned tense moments into legend, again. Neymar Jr.: Though injured, his arrival in 2023 changed everything. He gave the league its Hollywood face, and proved Saudi Arabia could sign anyone . What This Win Really Means There's a certain irony in watching Manchester City, the gold standard of modern, oil-backed football, get knocked out of the Club World Cup, defeated by their spiritual cousin, built with similar means but emerging from a different desert. For a club like City, built to win everything, an early Club World Cup exit is a rare embarrassment. For Al Hilal, it's validation on a global scale. The victory is both symbolic and strategic. It undermines the idea that top-level football is still exclusively a European preserve. It echoes what Saudi Arabia wants the world to understand: that the game is changing, and the money, and ambition, is flowing east. This wasn't about lucky deflections or tired legs. It was about a well-constructed football institution taking down one of the best. And in doing so, Al Hilal didn't just earn a win. They earned respect. If they can beat the European champions, then what else is possible? A Club World Cup run? An intercontinental rivalry? A Saudi club hoisting the trophy in 2025? For now, they move on to face Fluminense in the quarterfinals. But the bigger takeaway is this: Al Hilal are no longer just kings of Asia. They're legitimate contenders on football's global stage. And their rivals can no longer ignore them, or mock the Saudi project. As one Saudi player told a local agency post-match, beaming and breathless: "They thought we were just tourists in this tournament. Now they know we came to win it."
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Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
Players' union warns of heat risks at upcoming World Cups after US swelter
Extreme heat faced by soccer players at the Club World Cup in the United States will likely be an even bigger problem at the next two men's World Cups, their global union FIFPRO warned on Monday. The monthlong club event is being played in a heatwave in 11 American cities and union officials praised FIFA for helping to better protect players with cooling measures at games. Still, FIFA did not take FIFPRO's pre-tournament advice to look at postponing kickoff times by several hours on the hottest days a move that would be even more complicated at a World Cup with more commercial pressures in play and more games scheduled each day. Six of the 16 World Cup host cities next year in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are judged by FIFPRO as extremely high risk for heat stress injury to players among the 48 teams. The highest risk cities are Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas, Miami and Monterrey though some have indoor, air-conditioned stadiums. We are anticipating that this problem is going to be even more crucial for the coming years, FIFPRO medical director Vincent Gouttebarge told reporters in a briefing call. The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted in June and July by Spain, Portugal and Morocco where fewer stadiums are enclosed and cooled, and temperatures in some cities on Monday were at or above 100 degrees F (38 C). By 2030 the hot weather prospects for the tournament there is even perhaps worse than what we have been facing so far, Gouttebarge cautioned. FIFPRO said extra heat mitigation measures could include 20-minute halftime breaks instead of 15 to help lower players' core temperatures, and cooling breaks in play every 15 minutes. Currently, breaks are taken in the 30th minute of each half. FIFA was approached for comment. FIFA has reacted during the Club World Cup to lower the threshold for insisting on cooling or water breaks, plus placing more water and towels around the edge of the field. We are partially happy because FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was underway, FIFPRO CEO-like general secretary Alex Phillips said. Better shading benches for the substitutes and more hydration breaks are also preferred by the union, which has national affiliates representing players in about 70 countries. All these practical things is something that we must do better, said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO strategy director, though adding at some point that probably won't be enough. The union gave its research to FIFA ahead of the Club World Cup opening on June 14, based on weather trends in the host cities since 2014. Seven of the 11 were judged high risk with Philadelphia and Washington, DC, at the top end. The past few weeks was also a confirmation of our worry, Gouttebarge said, that the heat condition would play a negative role for the performance and health of the players. Six Club World Cup games also were stopped because of forecast electric storms nearby. The delay was nearly two hours in Charlotte during Chelsea's win in the round of 16 against Benfica. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
