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South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Al-Hilal say first team will not play in Hong Kong's Saudi Super Cup because of fatigue
Al-Hilal have confirmed their 'first football team' would not play in next month's Saudi Super Cup, saying they were told only a month ago, when they were already in the US competing in the Club World Cup, that the event would be in Hong Kong. In a statement posted on the club's website on Monday, Al-Hilal said it had written to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to explain its decision, and emphasised the 'exceptional circumstances' behind the move. The Riyadh-based club, who have won the competition five times, said competing at Hong Kong Stadium in August would violate player contracts, as it would mean they would not get the minimum 28 days of annual leave. Al-Hilal also pointed to the fact that some of their players had been without a break for more than a year, with domestic and international commitments ending only after they lost to Fluminense in the Club World Cup quarter-finals on July 5. Officials said the club had 'reiterated its pride in participating in the Saudi Super Cup, a tournament the club has won multiple times'. Al-Hilal players are expected to feature in Saudi Arabia's World Cup qualifiers in October. Photo AFP But they added: 'However, the decision came after a review of the physical and muscular condition of several players, which showed signs of extreme fatigue after a demanding season that lasted a full year and one week.'
RTHK
13-07-2025
- RTHK
Chelsea stun PSG to clinch Club World Cup
Chelsea stun PSG to clinch Club World Cup Chelsea scored three goals in the first half to stun the European champions in the Club World Cup final. Photo: Reuters Chelsea's Reece James lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the FIFA Club World Cup. Photo: Reuters Cole Palmer scored two goals and made another as Chelsea stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Club World Cup, beating the European champions 3-0 at the MetLife Stadium to win the first edition of Fifa's revamped competition. PSG were the favourites for a game attended by Donald Trump after coming to the United States fresh from winning the Uefa Champions League and having destroyed Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals. But having been three goals ahead midway through the first half in the semis, this time the roles were reversed as PSG found themselves 3-0 down by the break. Palmer opened the scoring midway through the first half and struck again to make it two on the half-hour mark, before taking advantage of passive defending to set up Joao Pedro for the third on 43 minutes. A bad day for PSG was summed up when Joao Neves was shown red following a VAR review four minutes from the end for pulling Marc Cucurella by the hair off the ball. It was a scoreline that few could have predicted as Chelsea capped what has been a long but memorable season – they are the first ever winners of the 32-team Club World Cup having also won the Uefa Conference League and finished fourth in the Premier League. They will also take away around US$125 million in prize money, meaning the prospect of a drastically curtailed summer break before returning for next season will surely feel worth it. For PSG, meanwhile, the financial rewards are similar but there will be genuine disappointment at falling short of adding this title to their Champions League triumph and French league and cup double. Nevertheless, conquering Europe was always the main aim this season for Luis Enrique's team, who now have exactly a month to digest this and take a holiday before returning to action in the Uefa Super Cup against Tottenham Hotspur. (AFP)
South China Morning Post
11-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong leap in Fifa rankings as coach vows to make fans proud against South Korea
East Asian Football Championship: South Korea v Hong Kong, Friday, 7pm Hong Kong time. Ashley Westwood said Hong Kong would learn from the mistakes that sunk them against Japan when they tackle South Korea in the East Asian Football Championship on Friday. Despite being thumped 6-1 by the Japanese on Tuesday, Hong Kong received a boost on the eve of their second fixture in Seoul, when they climbed six places to No 147 in the latest Fifa world rankings. That jump reflected the 10-match unbeaten run they stitched together before the Japan aberration. And Westwood, the head coach, promised he had left no stone unturned in his bid to get back on track against the hosts, who remained at No 23 in the global standings. 'We don't take any team lightly, we've studied Korea in depth and we know what they're going to do,' he said. 'We're going to try to adjust and amend our mistakes from the first game. We have a gameplan and we'll see if it works.'
