CNA938 Rewind - From the Premier League to Personal Growth
CNA938 Rewind
Liverpool legend and Champions League winner John Arne Riise joins Noor Farhan and Susan Ng on Your Singapore Weekend to share why self-belief is the cornerstone of success — whether you're chasing football dreams or forging your own path in life. He was in town for a local youth football initiative and also offered advice to young Singaporeans on taking bold steps toward a playing career in Europe.
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Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Club World Cup a test of Chelsea's elite credentials
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and his players celebrate scoring against Real Betis in the Uefa Conference League final. PHOTO: REUTERS LONDON – After securing their return to the Champions League on the final day of the season, Chelsea have an early chance to show that they belong back among the elite this summer at the Club World Cup. Enzo Maresca's side beat Nottingham Forest in their last Premier League match to clinch fourth place after an inconsistent campaign, ending a two-season absence from Europe's top competition. The Blues, who reached Fifa's revamped and expanded Club World Cup by landing a second Champions League triumph in 2021, have been handed a favourable opening raft of fixtures in the United States. They begin their campaign in Group D on June 16 against Los Angeles FC, who battled through a play-off round against Club America to replace the disqualified Club Leon. After that opening fixture in Atlanta, Chelsea head north to face Brazilian team Flamengo (June 20) and Tunisia's Esperance (June 24), both in Philadelphia. 'We face formations from distant countries, with which there is no relationship (with us) like the other Premier teams or in Europe,' Maresca said. 'We prepare ourselves by trying to watch as many matches as possible of the opponents, analysing them in the smallest detail. 'We will play in America, in different stadiums and environments – it's all a novelty, not only for us, it's a new competition and anything can happen.' Los Angeles boast former Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, although the 38-year-old is not a regular starter. Flamengo, who qualified by lifting the Copa Libertadores in 2022, are coached by well-regarded former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis. Esperance have won eight of the last nine Tunisian league titles but are considered the weakest team in the group. In the knock-out rounds, potential clashes against Bayern Munich and Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain may lie ahead. Chelsea won the competition in its previous format in 2022, beating Brazil's Palmeiras in the final. There will be special interest in how new Chelsea signing Liam Delap fares after his recent move from relegated Ipswich Town. The Blues beat Manchester United among other clubs in the race for the 22-year-old striker, who netted 12 times in 37 top-flight matches and moved for £30 million (S$52 million). Chelsea lacked firepower up front this season with Nicolas Jackson inconsistent and Christopher Nkunku struggling badly for form. Delap, the son of former Stoke midfielder Rory Delap, came through the Manchester City youth academy like Chelsea's star player, Cole Palmer. The England international's revival towards the end of the season is a positive sign, with Palmer dazzling in the Conference League final win over Real Betis. The 23-year-old missed Chelsea's pre-season tour of the US last summer and Maresca said it was a chance for the playmaker to take the country by storm. 'Palmer is up there with the very best top players who can produce something at any moment, create something out of nothing,' said the coach. 'He wasn't with me on the USA tour last summer, so it will also be a chance for him to experience the environment there and to introduce himself to North America.' Beating Betis in Poland earned Maresca his first trophy as Chelsea manager and a deep run in the US would be another sign that the Blues are heading in the right direction. Summer success is also important to the club's co-owners, US businessman Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital, with nearly £100 million on the line for the winners. While not among the set of top favourites, including English rivals City, 15-time European champions Real Madrid and PSG, Chelsea are still expected to reach the last eight. With fans not fully sold on Maresca's brand of possession football, and even Palmer saying he was 'sick' of the ball going from side to side in the Conference League final, another trophy could help soothe any tension in south-west London. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Manchester City spends big to cash in on Club World Cup
Manchester City's Rayan Cherki and Nathan Ake during a training session ahead of the Club World Cup. Cherki, who transferred to from Lyon to City for a reported €36.5 million, is one of the new signings for the club. REUTERS Can there be too much football? The inaugural Fifa Club World Cup, kicking off this weekend, puts that question into practice. A long English Premier League season saw many teams crawl over the line, in desperate need of a summer's rest. That included Manchester City, the fallen champions, who needed a final-day win at Fulham to qualify for the Champions League. While Liverpool, Napoli and Barcelona, champions of England, Italy and Spain, are absent from the tourney in the United States, Manchester City take their place. Pep Guardiola, like Paris Saint-Germain coach and former teammate Luis Enrique, has been notable about his ambitions to win the new trophy. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Straits Times
After conquering Europe, PSG now have sights set on Club World Cup glory
Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos and coach Luis Enrique during a ceremony to present the trophy a day after the team won the Champions League. PHOTO: AFP LOS ANGELES – Freshly crowned kings of Europe, Paris Saint-Germain arrived this week in the United States for the Club World Cup and are treating Fifa's lucrative new competition not as a nuisance at the end of an exhausting season but as a serious objective. 'I think it is an incredible competition,' coach Luis Enrique said in the immediate aftermath of his team's Champions League triumph in Munich two weeks ago. 'Our aim is to be competitive and try to win a fifth trophy of the season.' The French giants could be forgiven for wanting some time to bask in the glory of their 5-0 victory over Inter Milan, which allowed them to finally win the Champions League for the first time in their history. There had been numerous failures in Europe's elite club competition, as well as billions of euros spent on transfer fees on stars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, prior to captain Marquinhos raising the trophy aloft. 'We have made history for the club, for the city and for the whole country,' defender Lucas Hernandez told sports daily L'Equipe after the PSG squad paraded their trophy down the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, attended a reception with President Emmanuel Macron and celebrated with almost 50,000 fans at their Parc des Princes stadium. PSG have played 58 matches since last August and also swept all the available domestic trophies in France this season, as has become the norm in recent years. But there is simply no time to stop and reflect. Many of their players, including Champions League final hero Desire Doue, spent last week on international duty before returning to their club and departing for Los Angeles, where they will begin their Club World Cup adventure this weekend. 'The tournament itself is a really attractive prospect,' Enrique told 'We have to strike the balance between managing the physical and mental fatigue we're experiencing now at the end of a long season and harnessing the motivation that comes with being involved in the competition.' PSG's opening game will be against another European heavyweight as they take on Antoine Griezmann's Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, just outside Los Angeles, on June 15. They will then also face South American champions Botafogo, of Brazil, before moving north to take on Seattle Sounders in their remaining Group B matches. Expected to qualify for the knockout phase without too many issues, PSG could end up playing a total of seven matches if they make it all the way to the final in New York on July 13 – just a month before their scheduled first game of next season in the Uefa Supercup against Tottenham Hotspur. The strain of such a long campaign is telling, with Ousmane Dembele – their top scorer this season with 33 goals – struggling with an injury picked up playing for France last week. They did not manage to add any new players to their squad during the brief transfer window that opened at the start of this month ahead of the tournament. But the rewards for success in the Club World Cup are enticing and should be enough to keep Enrique's squad focused on their objective, with up to a stunning US$125 million (S$160 million) in prize money on offer for the best performing European team if they manage to go all the way. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
