Latest news with #Al-Hilal
Irish Independent
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Liverpool reveal Luis Diaz plan after rejecting Bayern Munich's too-low bid
The German champions had already made an approach for Diaz, which Liverpool had rebuffed, but they returned with a bid for the 28-year-old. Liverpool see Diaz, who scored 17 goals last season to help them win the Premier League title and who flourished as both a left winger and a striker for Arne Slot, as a key player for this season and the rest of his contract, which ends in 2027. They believe Diaz is worth over €100m, a value they had attached for auditing purposes and in reference to the prices commanded by other high-class forwards in the Premier League and international transfer market. They are aware there is also a long-standing interest in Diaz from the Saudi Pro League, where Bruno Fernandes, who is two years older than the Liverpool player, was a €100m target for Al-Hilal. Barcelona had also shown interest in Diaz, but Liverpool had told the Spanish champions the former Porto player is not available. Barca subsequently switched their attentions to Nico Williams, who instead decided to stay at Athletic Bilbao, while Marcus Rashford is also a target for them. Bayern are looking for a replacement for winger Leroy Sane, who has joined Galatasaray on a free transfer, while the club's record appearance-maker, Thomas Muller, has also left and they will be without the injured Jamal Musiala for the first few months of the season.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Al Nassr signs Jorge Jesus as head coach on one-year contract
Al-Nassr appointed Portuguese Jorge Jesus as coach on Monday, two months after he left its bitter Saudi Pro-League rival Al-Hilal. The 70-year-old won the domestic treble in his second stint with Riyadh-based Al-Hilal in the 2023-2024 season, but left the club in May after it lost in the AFC Champions League elite semifinals to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli. ALSO READ: Luka Modrid joins AC Milan on one-year deal 'It's official, Mr. Jorge Jesus is the new coach of Al-Nassr', the Saudi club posted on X. The former Copa Libertadores winner with Brazil's Flamengo, who replaces Italian Stefano Pioli, has signed a one-year contract with Al-Nassr. Nine-time Saudi champion Al-Nassr has extended the contract of 40-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo until 2027.
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Portuguese Jesus returns to Saudi as Al-Nassr coach
Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Hilal v Al Shabab - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - April 21, 2025 Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is seen during the match REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo (Reuters) -Al-Nassr appointed Portuguese Jorge Jesus as coach on Monday, two months after he left their bitter Saudi Pro-League rivals Al-Hilal. The 70-year-old won the domestic treble in his second stint with Riyadh-based Al-Hilal in the 2023-2024 season, but left the club in May after they lost in the AFC Champions League elite semi-finals to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli. "It's official Mr. Jorge Jesus is the new coach of Al-Nassr" the Saudi club posted on X. The former Copa Libertadores winner with Brazil's Flamengo, who replaces Italian Stefano Pioli, has signed a one-year contract with Al-Nassr. Nine-times Saudi champions Al-Nassr have extended the contract of 40-year-old five-times Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo until 2027. (Reporting by Mohamed Yossry in Cairo, editing by Ed Osmond)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's presence at Chelsea's trophy lift was a fitting coda to a misguided tournament
For the first four weeks of the 2025 Club World Cup, there had been the danger that the tournament would soon be largely forgotten. There is no danger of that after the final. There had been unease after the 2022 World Cup final at the way Qatar inserted itself into the trophy presentation by draping a bisht over Lionel Messi, but at least the Emir kept his distance. Donald Trump, by contrast, placed himself front and centre of the celebrations – and he was soon joined by the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, who has a pathological fear of missing out, and must follow his great ally in all things. And so we were presented with a grimly perfect image of this misguided tournament, a celebrating football team struggling to be seen from behind the politicians who took centre stage. The confusion of Cole Palmer and Reece James at Trump's continued presence was clear. History, and not just football history, will not forget such shameless grandstanding, or Fifa's complicity in allowing football to be hijacked by a national leader. Advertisement Related: From Palmer and domes to Musiala and turf: Club World Cup winners and losers It was a day the ramifications of which will be sifted for years. As a footballing spectacle, it was remarkable, a game in which Palmer produced a performance to elevate him to global stardom, in which Robert Sánchez did much to quiet his many critics, in which Enzo Maresca announced himself as a tactician of the highest rank. There had been plenty of intrigue earlier in the tournament – Al-Hilal's last-16 victory over Manchester City and Real Madrid's capitulation in the semi-final perhaps most notably – but they had always been undercut by doubts as to how seriously each side was taking it. But PSG's determination to add the world title to the Champions League crown they won in May was obvious and, in the final, they were outplayed to a startling degree. Luis Enrique's side had essentially been untouchable since the turn of the year, not just winning games but looking sharper than opponents, on another tactical level. They had outclassed Madrid in the semi-final to the extent that the game was done within 20 minutes. Yet the final was lost by half-time as their left flank was repeatedly over-run. Khvicha Khvaratskelia, whose defensive work is usually so striking, didn't make a single tackle or interception (PSG's front three as a whole managed just one regain between them) and Fabián Ruiz was bypassed so that Nuno Mendes, who for a year has seemed obviously the best left-back in the world, was repeatedly exposed, sometimes to Malo Gusto but sometimes, more dangerously, to Palmer. Advertisement Related: Club World Cup dismissed as a Fifa 'fiction' by head of players' union Palmer produced one of the great final performances, scoring the first with a great finish, the second with a great finish after a dummied pass of almost comical effectiveness and then setting up the third with a barrelling run and perfectly calibrated pass for João Pedro. Perhaps PSG were disadvantaged by having played in the second semi-final; perhaps in the extreme heat an extra 24 hours of rest makes a huge difference. Still, it's been a long time since anybody has taken Luis Enrique's PSG apart like that – even if it took two exceptional saves from Sánchez to prevent PSG getting a second-half goal that might have made the denouement more anxious than it was. There have been plenty who have doubted Maresca's tactical approach, his apparent over-caution, his obsession with avoiding risk. But on Sunday, he clearly got the gameplan right. Using Pedro Neto as an auxiliary wing-back helped negate the forward surges of Achraf Hakimi but it was on the other flank, the way space was created for Palmer, that the game was won. These were moments that will define careers and, in so doing, offer legitimacy and prestige to the Club World Cup. As world champions, after a performance like that, with a squad of such depth, Chelsea have to be considered serious contenders for the Premier League title. But in the end, the football seemed an afterthought. There is always something uncomfortable to the European mind in the militarism of US sporting fanfare (which has begun, regrettably, to seep into the FA Cup final). Why was the Star-Spangled Banner played before kick-off? When has the host's anthem ever previously been played like that at a Fifa event? Why was there a fly-over of military planes? Advertisement By the trophy presentation, that had become something much more sinister. Was the US hosting football, or was football hosting the US? Or rather a particular vision of the US represented by Trump? Fifa has just opened offices in Trump Tower: Infantino's alliance with the president is both committed and alarming. And having pushed through his vision of the Club World Cup with all its flaws without meaningful consultation, what next for Fifa? Checks and balances simply don't apply any more.
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Sport
- Morocco World
Al-Hilal Withdraws From the Saudi Super Cup
Al Hilal are considering pulling out of the 2025 Saudi Super Cup, which will take place in Hong Kong, citing technical and physical reasons, following their participation in the Club World Cup. According to Al-Hilal's officials, the players are still exhausted after participating in the Club World Cup, and need some time to recover before starting another season. The Saudi Football Association is not objecting, as Al-Hilal is the only team that barely had any rest. According to local media, the club could face penalties under tournament regulations, including a fine of up to SAR 500,000 and a potential ban from the next edition. The Federation is still reviewing potential implications. Sports critic Mohammed Al-Sheikh: 'The team is suffering from continuous fatigue after a long and arduous season, both at the club level and with the national teams, while no other Saudi club has faced the same physical pressure.' Al-Hilal have submitted an official apology for not playing their scheduled match against Al-Qadisiyah. Al-Shekh commented that the apology was not arbitrary but came after a thorough analysis of the technical and administrative circumstances, considering that the decision could ultimately benefit the team in the long term. The Saudi Super Cup is set to take place in Hong Kong on August 19, with Al-Nassr facing Al-Ittihad. Al-Hilal were due to play Al-Qadisiyah the following day. The Riyadh-based club is the title holder of the last Saudi Super Cup, with Brazilian forward Malcom scoring twice in a 4-1 victory over Al Ittihad in Abu Dhabi. With Al-Hilal out of the Super Cup, Al-Ahli is considered the frontrunners to replace them, according to Al-Riyadiyah newspaper. The final line-up of participating clubs is yet to be confirmed. Tags: Al HilalRoshn Saudi Leagueyassine bounou
