
Ex-Man Utd ace Varane's verdict on Hong Kong event and idea of EPL, La Liga games abroad
A World Cup and four-time Uefa Champions League winner, Varane was a popular guest at the HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens on Sunday.
'The welcome here was amazing,' said the 32-year-old, who retired last September. 'You could see the fans' incredible passion for football.'
Reflecting on that tournament, which was won in dramatic fashion by Dutch team AZ Alkmaar after a nip-and-tuck final against Brighton & Hove Albion, Varane hailed the opportunity for young playing talents to 'share cultures and knowledge'.
'It's a great experience for kids to come from around the world, and play against teams from everywhere, it's good for their development,' Varane said.
Raphael Varane joins a penalty competition at the Soccer Sevens. Photo: HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens
'The [sevens] game is faster, so it's good for developing different skills … the tournament provides only positive things.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South China Morning Post
8 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong youth ‘proud and honoured' to play against Manchester United despite thrashing
Hong Kong's best youth football prospects were 'proud and honoured' to have had the chance to go up against Manchester United's U16 academy over the weekend, with their coach saying the experience would make them better athletes. Advertisement The JC Youth Football Academy Summit is a week-long event featuring two matches in which Hong Kong footballers played against their Manchester United counterparts at Mong Kok Stadium. Organised by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the summit saw the Premier Youth League Select draw 3-3 with United's academy before losing a penalty shoot-out. And on Sunday, Hong Kong's U16 national team lost 7-1. Despite the result, Hong Kong captain Jay Chan, who is an academy player for Spanish side AD Alcorcon, said he valued the experience. 'It was a really good opportunity; I think we put a lot of effort into it,' Chan said. Manchester United's Jaice (right) in a race for the ball with Hong Kong's Nigel Lau. Photo: Edmond So 'We did really good as a team; of course, there's a lot to improve, but I think we'll do better next time.


South China Morning Post
8 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Cristiano Ronaldo surprises fans with museum visit in Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui
Cristiano Ronaldo has made a surprise appearance at a museum in Tsim Sha Tsui dedicated to honouring his career during his visit to Hong Kong for the Saudi Super Cup, with fans waiting for hours outside the venue to catch the football legend. A Post reporter saw Ronaldo arriving at the CR7 Life Museum in K11 shopping centre at 8.30pm on Sunday, with fans crowding the entrance and cheering as they spotted him touring the venue. The star player briefly stepped out and appeared ready to sign jerseys handed to him, but shook his head and retreated after some fans pushed at the barricade. He left about half an hour later. The museum was launched last month to celebrate the football superstar's career. Dozens of fans arrived as early as 1pm, as rumours of his appearance swirled online. They included a Jiangxi visitor, who only identified himself as Gan. He said he had come to Hong Kong for the Saudi Cup and would stay until the finals on Saturday. 'If we get to see him, that would be even better, but if not, there's nothing we can do. They never said for sure that he would come ... unlike Messi the last time, when everyone said he was going to play but he didn't in the end,' he said.


South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
World Games end in Chengdu with colourful ceremony, China top of medals table
China brought down the curtain on the 12th World Games on Sunday as a colourful closing ceremony concluded 10 action-packed days in Chengdu. The four-yearly jamboree – comprising disciplines not included in the Olympics – had drawn 5,000 athletes from 110 countries and regions to the southwest Chinese city to compete in 34 sports ranging from familiar Games fare to the likes of powerboating and cheerleading. Sunday night's ceremony began at 8pm local time and took place at the International Horticultural Exhibition Park, exemplifying the event's commitment to sustainability. It featured a gala performance showcasing four acts of Chinese dance, highlighting the unique cultural inclusiveness of the Ba-Shu region, of which Chengdu is a part. After the last of the 256 events on Sunday, China finished top of the medals table with 36 golds, 17 silvers and 11 bronzes – their best-ever showing – ahead of Germany with 17, 14 and 14 respectively, while Ukraine were third on 16-14-14. Hong Kong's Grace Lau savours winning her karate gold. Photo: Reuters Hong Kong's athletes also recorded their best-ever performance, with three golds, two silvers and one bronze, beating the five medals won in 2022.