Hong Kong, Malaysia could be new dawn for Manchester United
The club's decision to jet to Asia immediately after they lowered the curtain on a dismal campaign has attracted criticism, amid prevailing concerns over player welfare.
But Amorim and midfielder Mason Mount did not appear reluctant tourists as they spoke in a packed, sweltering function room at Kuala Lumpur's plush W Hotel.
The Portuguese boss fixed his gaze to the floor as dignitaries lauded celebrated former Old Trafford bosses Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson.
Amorim said the matches against Asean All-Stars on Wednesday, and in Hong Kong two days later were 'to improve the team'.
Harry Maguire is set to skip Manchester United's game in Hong Kong after playing in Malaysia. Photo: Reuters
'It's a pleasure to be here, and it's really important to have the connection with our fans – it's what makes this club one of the best in the world,' Amorim added. 'Every game we play, we have a big responsibility, because fans around the world are watching.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong youngsters pay the penalty as Manchester United counterparts finish strongly
Manchester United's U16 academy team needed two penalties – both awarded in 10 minutes of added time at the end of the second half – to salvage a 3-3 draw on Friday against a team made up of Hong Kong's hottest prospects. Advertisement Manchester United's academy faced the Hong Kong Premier Youth League Select at Mong Kok Stadium, as part of the JC Youth Football Academy Summit, organised by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The match started at blistering speed, with United converting a penalty in the fourth minute, before Hong Kong's Jack Bennie seized on an error from goalkeeper Jake Darlington to equalise five minutes later. Hong Kong's Cai McGunnigle then added two more before half-time. Manchester United legend Phil Jones did a lap of honour before the match. Photo: Edmond So Both halves ended with a staggering 10 minutes of added time, with United winning and converting two penalties at the end of the second half.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong top talent scheme's 54% visa extension rate ‘ideal', labour chief says
More than half of the professionals admitted to Hong Kong under a top talent scheme launched two years ago have applied to extend their stay, a rate that the city's labour chief has hailed as 'ideal'. Reviewing the Top Talent Pass Scheme, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also revealed on Friday that the median monthly salary of those who had successfully extended their visas was HK$40,000 (US$5,128), while a quarter earned HK$80,000. Sun also dismissed concerns that the new arrivals had consumed Hong Kong resources, noting that half of those who succeeded in extending their stay were aged 40 or below, while saying that small details in the scheme could be enhanced. The scheme, under which a two-year visa is usually issued to successful applicants, was launched by the government in December 2022 to counter a brain drain during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a closed-door media briefing on Friday, Sun revealed that the visas of 13,678 individuals had expired as of July 31, with 7,394 or 54 per cent submitting applications for an extension. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun. Photo: Sun Yeung Including 2,305 people whose visas had not expired before July 31 but who had already applied for extensions, the Immigration Department had received 9,699 applications in total.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China rises up ‘elite quality' league table as AI investment booms
Thanks to its combined strengths in artificial intelligence and manufacturing, China rose two places to rank 19th out of 151 countries in the 2025 Elite Quality Index – a Swiss study that assesses the extent to which national elites create sustainable value for their nations. Advertisement Singapore topped this year's rankings, followed by the United States and Switzerland, in the annual report produced by the Foundation for Value Creation Activities in partnership with the University of St. Gallen. Asian economies performed strongly overall, with Japan maintaining fourth place and South Korea rising to fifth. In contrast, several European countries including the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland fell down the rankings this year. 'China ranks at 19th in the index, up two places from last year, maintaining its upward trend in Elite Quality and an outcome that is particularly commendable given the dramatic changes in the global economic order,' the report said. The index assessed 151 countries based on 149 indicators, which are designed to gauge the overall impact of elite business models in terms of creating positive value or engaging in negative rent-seeking behaviour. Advertisement China scored particularly highly in the AI value creation sub-index, placing fourth behind the US, Singapore and South Korea. This year's report increased the number of AI indicators from two to seven based on the industry's growing importance as a source of value creation. Zhang Jun, dean of the School of Economics at Shanghai's Fudan University, said China's rise in the rankings showed that its elite-led model of governance had been effective in promoting the country's economic development.
