Al Hilal showed Saudi league not just about money, says Koulibaly

15 hours ago

'Everyone thinks that when we went there we only went for the financial argument but we showed that we are working over there,' Koulibaly said'We want to improve the league, we have improved a lot in two years'ORLANDO: Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal bowed out of the Club World Cup on Friday, after a 2-1 defeat to Fluminense, but after an unexpected run to the last eight they have left their mark on the global stage.Simone Inzaghi's team beat Manchester City 4-3 in the round-of-16, delivering the biggest upset of the tournament and one of the competition's most thrilling games.Al Hilal began their campaign with a draw against Spanish giants Real Madrid and they came through the group stage unbeaten with a draw against Champions League regulars Salzburg and a 2-0 win over six-times CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Pachuca of Mexico.With a squad that mixes local Saudi talent with international recruits, the newly appointed Inzaghi was able to take the team to the brink of the last four.For former Napoli defender and Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly, one of the expensively recruited foreign players, the performances at the first 32-team Club World Cup, were a message that the Saudi league is not just a lucrative retirement home for European and South American players.'We showed that the teams from Saudi are very strong, very powerful and we have a lot of good players. Everyone thinks that when we went there we only went for the financial argument but we showed that we are working over there,' he told reporters.'We showed it at this World Cup and every team who played against us can see that we have talent. We want to improve the league, we have improved a lot in two years,' he added.Koulibaly was one of the early recruits to the Saudi Pro League, after leaving Premier League team Chelsea to join the Riyadh club and he said he has witnessed rapid growth in the league.'I was there at the beginning and I see today it is very tough. We saw it last year and next year it will be tougher as more players are coming. The Saudi league is taking a nice place in the football world and we are happy because we are part of a very nice project and want to show all the world that the football is improving,' he said.Inzaghi, who left Inter Milan and took charge of the team shortly before the tournament began, says he has been impressed with what he has seen from his players so far.'Clearly, for me and my staff, it was very important to be able to play in this World Cup. We realized what kind of team we have, the quality of our players, the pleasure with which they work every day. Now we are looking forward to a great season,' he said.

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Thibout Courtois ends Real Madrid's 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund with a leaping save

Al Arabiya

37 minutes ago

Al Arabiya

Thibout Courtois ends Real Madrid's 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund with a leaping save

Real Madrid's Club World Cup quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund had taken three crazy turns during nine minutes of second-half stoppage time when Marcel Sabitzer chested the ball and sent a right-footed volley toward Thibout Courtois' post. Courtois leaped to his right, extended the long arm on his 6-foot-7 frame, and just managed to get his gloved fingertips on the ball, knocking it down. Courtois hit the ground as the ball bounded up. He looked skyward, planted his right hand to regain his balance, grabbed the ball with both hands on the second bounce, and fell onto it with his chest. Sabitzer turned his back to the goal and put both hands on his head as Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti walked by, raised both hands, and blew the final whistle. 'In soccer, it's like this. All the teams that are here, they compete until the end,' Courtois said after Real's 3–2 victory Saturday. 'A game could become like this at any minute, and that's what happened at the end.' Voted the top goalkeeper in 2018, Courtois has won a pair of Champions League titles with Real Madrid along with two Premier League championships and four in La Liga. 'We are so lucky that we have Thibaut on goal because Thibaut is one of those keepers that makes you win games, and today that save has been so decisive,' Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said. Gonzalo García and Fran García scored in the first 20 minutes as Madrid built a 2–0 lead. Dortmund's Maximilian Beier scored three minutes into stoppage time, and Kylian Mbappé, who entered in the 67th, restored a two-goal lead with his bicycle kick one minute later. Serhou Guirassy converted a penalty kick in the eighth minute of added time after he was fouled by Dean Huijsen, who received a red card and will miss the semifinals. Courtois then came up with a stop for the ages. 'It is a great big save. That's the reason why he is the best goalkeeper in the world,' Dortmund coach Niko Kovač said. Madrid advanced to a semifinal match against Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, a day after Chelsea meets Brazilian club Fluminense. 'The nervousness–we need to learn to be more calm in the next game and finish the game in possession,' Courtois said.

FIFA Cuts Ticket Price to $13.40 for Club World Cup Semifinal Between Chelsea and Fluminense

Al Arabiya

2 hours ago

Al Arabiya

FIFA Cuts Ticket Price to $13.40 for Club World Cup Semifinal Between Chelsea and Fluminense

FIFA cut standard ticket prices for the semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday to $13.40 from $473.90 earlier in the past week. FIFA has used dynamic pricing for the 63-game tournament. Standard ticket prices for Wednesday's semifinal between European champion Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in New Jersey start at $199.60. FIFA had dropped ticket prices to $11.15 for a quarterfinal in Orlando, Florida, between Fluminense and Al-Hilal, and in Philadelphia between Chelsea and Palmeiras. The dramatic drop in prices was first reported by The Athletic. Many matches during the tournament have had sparse crowds. Real Madrid has been an exception, drawing at least 60,000 for all five of its matches, including 76,611 for its quarterfinal win Saturday over Borussia Dortmund in New Jersey.

Bayern Munich Midfielder Jamal Musiala Badly Injures His Leg Against PSG at Club World Cup

Asharq Al-Awsat

3 hours ago

Asharq Al-Awsat

Bayern Munich Midfielder Jamal Musiala Badly Injures His Leg Against PSG at Club World Cup

Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala badly injured his left leg and was forced to leave his team's match against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday in the Club World Cup quarterfinals. Musiala was hurt late in the first half following a 50-50 challenge with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The replay of the gruesome injury was not shown on the big screens at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. PSG went on to win the match 2-0. The injury came in Musiala's first start for Bayern in three months following a hamstring injury in April. 'I believe the boy has really had a tough few months behind him and he has pushed through well,' Bayern forward Thomas Müller said. 'We all keep our fingers crossed.' The 22-year-old Musiala, who also plays for Germany's national team, entered Saturday's match with three goals in the tournament — one behind golden boot leaders Ángel Di María and Marcos Leonardo. His Club World Cup goals brought his tally to 21 this season, including 12 in the Bundesliga and three in the Champions League. Musiala's injury came just before halftime. The referee whistled for the break as the midfielder received treatment on the field. Serge Gnabry replaced him in the lineup to begin the second half with the score 0-0. 'I want to send a small message to him,' PSG defender Achraf Hakimi said. 'We support him, and we want to see him back soon on the pitch because he's a great player.' Musiala is a rising star, earning Player of the Year honors for the German national team in 2024. He was also runner-up for the Golden Boy award in 2023, which is awarded to Europe's brightest under-21 talent. Musiala debuted for Bayern Munich in 2020 when he was 17, becoming the team's youngest ever player at the time of his debut. In 2022, he became the first teenager to appear for the German national team at a World Cup since 1958. Because of the injury, Bayern may have to start next season without Musiala. The German club lost out on Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz to Liverpool in the transfer market, leaving Bayern short in the attacking midfield position.