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New York Times
an hour ago
- Business
- New York Times
Cristiano Ronaldo's future is unclear. Could he join one of the teams at the Club World Cup?
Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Al Nassr is up in the air after a disappointing season, and his contract is set to expire at the end of next month. The 40-year-old also posted a cryptic message on his social media earlier this week, writing: 'This chapter is over. The story? Still being written.' With Al Nassr not involved in the tournament, there have long been suggestions that Ronaldo could compete at FIFA's inaugural expanded Club World Cup, which takes place in the United States this summer. And the body's president Gianni Infantino added fuel to the fire during an interview with YouTuber IShowSpeed last weekend. Advertisement Discussing Lionel Messi competing in the event with his MLS club Inter Miami, Infantino then added: 'And Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well at the Club World Cup. There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club is watching and is interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup… who knows, who knows.' A special transfer window opens for teams competing in the Club World Cup between June 1 and June 10, with sides able to add players before its opening game on June 14. So, could a team move to sign Ronaldo between now and then? Are any of them interested? Is there a chance he could face eternal rival Messi, surely for the final time in their careers, at this tournament? The Athletic's team of reporters approached figures at clubs competing at the Club World Cup to ask whether they would be interested in a move for Ronaldo. Unless otherwise noted, those people spoke under the condition of anonymity to protect relationships. Their responses are below. Chelsea turned down the opportunity to sign Ronaldo in 2022, and are not going to change their minds three years later. The London club have already compiled a list of players they want to play up front for them in the future, including Hugo Ekitike, Liam Delap — who Chelsea have reached a transfer agreement for — and Benjamin Sesko. Like most of the Chelsea squad, these are players all under the age of 25 and have the best of their careers still to come. Their wage demands also fit into the general structure in place at Stamford Bridge. Ronaldo, while respected for all his achievements, simply does not fit into the club's recruitment strategy. Simon Johnson No chance. Juventus are still in arbitration with Ronaldo over an agreement that was made to defer some of his wages while he was with the Turin club during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) ordered Juventus to pay more than €9.7million ($10.35m, £8.3m), plus interest, to Ronaldo in back wages. James Horncastle As exciting as it could be, a Messi vs Ronaldo clash in the opening match of the 2025 Club World Cup is unlikely to happen. Ronaldo joining Al Ahly, the Egyptian side who kick the tournament off against Messi's Inter Miami in that Florida city in two weeks' time, is a transfer that's only possible in video games. Financially, the move just isn't logical due to his salary requirements. Ahmed Walid Mamelodi Sundowns are South Africa's richest team, backed by one of the country's wealthiest men, Patrice Motsepe, who has been in charge since 2003. Since Motsepe became president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2021, his son, Thlopie, has taken over as club chairman, running Sundowns on a day-to-day basis. Advertisement Thlopie confirmed last week that they are considering using the forthcoming transfer window but any new faces are only likely to arrive once their involvement in the Club World Cup is over. That responsibility will fall on Flemming Berg, the club's Danish sporting director, and his assistant, Ryan Hunt. Simon Hughes Palmeiras have not made any move, nor do they plan to do so, to sign Ronaldo. That has been the club's position since mid-May, when the first rumours surfaced that a team from Brazil was interested in the Portuguese forward. They also added they did not envision any Brazilian club being able to afford such a move. The doubts about whether Ronaldo will stay in Saudi Arabia or not, with his current contract about to expire, have not changed the scenario at the Sao Paulo club. Their attacking options will be young Estevao, a right-winger who will join Chelsea after this tournament; the Argentine Jose Manuel Lopez; or Vitor Roque, who failed to meet expectations at Spanish sides Barcelona and Real Betis over the past two seasons and did not score in his first nine games with Palmeiras after joining in February. Mario Cortegana Even as their Brazilian rivals have made a habit of making splashy signings from European football over the past decade, Fluminense have generally been more circumspect. This is in large part due to their financial situation: compared to the country's big hitters — Palmeiras, Flamengo, Corinthians — they have a pretty modest budget and prefer to cut their cloth accordingly. It was no surprise, then, that a source at the club immediately rejected the idea that Rio de Janeiro-based Fluminense could offer Ronaldo a new challenge. Jack Lang Another Brazilian side who have no interest in, and have had no discussions over, signing Ronaldo. Although the club's owner, John Textor, attended Al Nassr training sessions due to his relationship with their chief executive Majed AlJamaan, any suggestion that he might join the Rio side or that he would be involved in the Eagle Football multi-club vehicle where Textor is chairman have been described to The Athletic as 'a bizarre fantasy story'. Matt Woosnam Flamengo have also ruled out a move for Ronaldo ahead of the Club World Cup, mainly for financial reasons. Jorginho's arrival from Arsenal is their latest planned move for the tournament. Jose Boto, Flamengo's sporting director, is Portuguese and has very good contacts in his home country, which could potentially facilitate the deal at some point. However, it is not something Rio-based Flamengo have seriously considered. Mario Cortegana Inter's American ownership, the asset management firm Oaktree, has provided stability and financial security for this weekend's Champions League finalists. They are also committed to rejuvenating a squad that is the oldest in this season's Champions League. 'Investments will be made in slightly younger profiles who represent a real asset, players with potential who are an asset for the present and the future,' Inter's CEO Giuseppe Marotta explained to The Athletic this week. That doesn't sound like Ronaldo, who turned 40 in February. Advertisement Marotta was at Juventus when Ronaldo joined them in 2018, but that was a signing driven by colleague Fabio Paratici. Marotta left the club a few months later, and Inter have since replaced Juventus as the real force in Italian football. The prospect of Marotta signing Ronaldo for Inter — regardless of the new ownership's strategy for the Milanese club — is unlikely. James Horncastle Ronaldo and City manager Pep Guardiola nearly joined forces in 2021 before he decided to return to neighbours United from Juventus at the eleventh hour. A deal was broadly agreed then, but long phone conversations with former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and ex-Old Trafford team-mate Rio Ferdinand convinced Ronaldo how ruinous switching to the other side of Manchester would be for his legacy. At the time, City were also looking at Harry Kane to fill the centre-forward void left by the departure during the same window of Sergio Aguero. There is no such vacancy now that they have Erling Haaland, who has committed himself to the club for the next decade. City also added Omar Marmoush to their attacking ranks in January and are attempting to bring down the average age of the squad. Ronaldo is into his fifth decade, his powers are understandably waning, and he is unlikely to be able to play on one of the wings anymore. That said, the way Guardiola has incorporated Haaland into his team by allowing him not to get involved in any build-up play is a dilution of his football idealism that was not known four years ago. It would have been fun to see Guardiola work with Ronaldo, having played such an important role in Messi's first few years at Barcelona, but the chances of it happening are virtually zero. Jordan Campbell Since his departure from Madrid to join Juventus, Ronaldo has explored the possibility of moving back to the Bernabeu on several occasions. The last opportunity was two years ago, when he was on his way out of United. According to senior sources at Madrid, his agent at the time, Jorge Mendes, offered him to them several times during the summer of 2023, with very advantageous financial conditions. Advertisement The club's stance has always been clear in these situations, as it was during this season when the possibility of Sergio Ramos returning also came up: they have total gratitude for both players' time at the club, but they believe it should be left in the past. Madrid are committed to their project, which is now focused on new blood, without focusing on the economic elements. Mario Cortegana and Guillermo Rai There is zero chance. Bayern's forward line will be led by Kane this summer in the States, and Ronaldo would offer nothing beyond unhelpful media attention. The German champions are paying no attention to his availability at all. Sebastian Stafford-Bloor The French club have not made any moves in terms of Ronaldo, and has no plans to do so. Their total focus is on the Champions League final showdown with Inter on Saturday night, which also shows why bringing him in is not among their plans. Their overall project as a club has pivoted since manager Luis Enrique's 2024 arrival to build a team based on their Spanish coach and young talent, moving away from the collection of the world's most famous stars previously in the line-up. The success of this season reinforces this idea and has led to renewing the contracts in recent months of the aforementioned Luis Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos, who is always in close contact with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Mario Cortegana In Serhou Guirassy, Dortmund believe they have one of the in-form forwards in European football and they will head to the U.S. fully confident in their ability to score plenty of goals in this tournament. There's no conversation to be had about signing Ronaldo. Sebastian Stafford-Bloor Ronaldo will not be joining Atletico for the Club World Cup. The Spanish club are taking the tournament very seriously, and coach Diego Simeone's team will be playing their usual high-intensity, hard-working style, and have top internationals such as Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth and Antoine Griezmann to lead their attack. Advertisement Adding the 40-year-old former Madrid player for their U.S. challenge would just not make sense. Dermot Corrigan Porto have no interest in signing Ronaldo, who came through the academy at one of their great domestic rivals, Lisbon's Sporting CP. They are, however, focusing their efforts on another (far younger) forward from the Saudi Pro League: Gabri Veiga. The 23-year-old made a surprise move from Celta Vigo to Al Ahli two years ago and is a key target for them this summer. James Horncastle Ronaldo supported Benfica as a young boy, but it would be a colossal surprise if they were to approach him now. He came through the youth ranks at their local Lisbon rivals, Sporting, and it would need a huge amount of PR massaging to make a cross-city move look like anything other than a betrayal, even at this late stage of his career. He also once stuck a middle finger up at Benfica fans while playing for United, so the appetite from their supporters for his signing might also be limited. Jack Lang In recent seasons, the Mexicans have been known for signing La Liga stars such as Sergio Canales and especially Sergio Ramos. For that reason, it might seem logical that they would be looking to do the same with Ronaldo. However, very senior sources at Monterrey played down this option ahead of the Club World Cup: 'We haven't moved on anything at all. But there is so much noise that, if he wants to come and he comes for free, then we will think about it.' Guillermo Rai A source close to Ronaldo told The Athletic last week that it would not make sense for Al Nassr to renew his contract and then move him out on loan to a team playing in the Club World Cup. That said, a renewal is not out of the question. However, a source at the Riyadh club suggested it depended in part on the outcome of their season — and this came to a negative end, with Al Nassr finishing third in the Saudi Pro League, having lost in the Asian Champions League's semi-finals. Guillermo Rai
CNN
an hour ago
- Business
- CNN
From spoiled superstars to hunger and hard work: How PSG changed its image
As Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting tapped the ball into the Paris Saint-Germain net on March 8, 2023, the irony was not lost on the French fans. Choupo-Moting, a relatively unremarkable but selfless player, had been released by PSG for free in 2020. And here he was, scoring the second of three goals for Bayern Munich that would knock Les Parisiens out of the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage. His teammate Kingsley Coman, who had also left PSG for free, had scored the first. The French superclub's frontline of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé was, on paper, miles ahead of the one belonging to its German opponent. And yet, in three hours and 13 minutes across two matches, the star trio had failed to score a single goal. The team from the City of Light had once again burned out in the competition it had been trying desperately to win for years. 'The season for us was kind of like a nightmare,' PSG fan Raphaël Messina tells CNN Sports. 'We wanted to fall in love again with our club, and for players to respect the badge and the institution.' The French club, and its Qatari ownership, had become known as much for its big spending and superstar talent as it had for anything happening on the pitch. 'I think money was one of the first conditions for them (the players) to come and sign for PSG, for sure,' explains Messina. 'It's hard to blame them because it's the way the president (of the club, Nasser Al-Khelaifi) or other people around them sell the experience of being in Paris and PSG. … It's an incredible city. If you have the money, you can have a lot of fun.' That fun, unfortunately, had not spread to the majority of the club's fans. The team's only previous Champions League final appearance came in 2020 behind closed doors due to the Covid pandemic, when it lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich. The goalscorer that night? Kingsley Coman. But – with Les Parisiens gearing up to take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday night – it's safe to say they're having fun now. Salvation came four months after that low point in Bavaria in the form of a man who, up until that point, was widely disliked in Paris. Luis Enrique had been the manager of Barcelona in 2017 when the Catalan team had made Champions League history by coming back from 4-0 to beat PSG 6-5 on aggregate, one of the greatest games – and one of the worst humiliations – in the competition's history. 'We had kind of a bad memory of this man,' admits PSG fan Hugo Coll in an interview with CNN Sports. Nonetheless, the likes of Coll and Messina – members of PSG's London supporters' club – were willing to put their trust in Enrique, provided the club's ownership did so too. 'We were happy with the big name, with Enrique, but we really wanted the club to give him full power and give him time to do what he wanted,' explains Coll, who had seen four managers fired in just over five years. Less than six weeks after his appointment, Enrique was already imprinting his philosophies on the club. With Messi and Sergio Ramos already having left to join Inter Miami and Sevilla, respectively, Neymar was sold to Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal. A year later, after a promising season in the Champions League was cut short by Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals, the club's one remaining superstar, Mbappé, left to join Real Madrid. Enrique insisted that the team would get better in the French striker's absence. Many scoffed at the suggestion that losing Ligue 1's top goalscorer in each of the previous six seasons could improve the team. But some saw it as a sign that the club might finally achieve some stability. 'As soon as we realized he was getting rid of the Neymars, the Messis, the Mbappés – and there were a couple of actions he did where, for example, he put (Ousmane) Dembélé on the bench after bad behavior – we were like, 'Finally, there is a coach who can do what he wants,'' says Coll. Enrique has been proven right. Mbappé's 27 league goals last season have been replaced by three players who were already at the club – Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos, who have 21, 14 and 10, respectively. The thing that changes from the past is (now) I think of a team, I don't think of a player.' Hugo Coll, PSG fan on the evolution of the club's philosophy Add to them the wizardry of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the quick feet of Désiré Doué, and there is the sense that, for the first time in a long time, PSG is not reliant on a very small number of superstar players who may have felt they were bigger than the club. In fact, with one of the lowest average ages in the whole of the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain this season has become a team known for its young, hardworking and likeable core group of players – Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Barcola and Doué have all garnered plaudits. 'The thing that changes from the past is (now) I think of a team, I don't think of a player,' says Coll. 'It's a team that we've grown to love.' 'That's why I love and we love PSG this season,' agrees Messina. 'Because it reminds us a little bit of … not the old football but, you know, a big collective. They want to fight for the jersey.' The elephant in the room with PSG, of course, is its ownership. The club is owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), an investment fund backed by the Qatari government. Over the last three decades, Qatar has built its visibility and profile in the West through a number of sporting ventures, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Qatar Tennis Open and the purchase of PSG in 2011. Critics have condemned QSI's actions as nothing more than an attempt to 'sportswash' the nation's poor human rights record. Al-Khelaifi has repeatedly rejected such accusations and said that QSI operates simply to make money from its investments. 'We are an investment fund. We bought the club for €70 million. We have since received offers in the multi-billions,' he told BBC Sport in 2022. 'This is the brand we built as a real investment – across men's and women's teams. People criticize because it is sovereign wealth. 'What about other forms of ownership – is the private equity takeover of sport about social good? What about clubs leveraged to the sky by private individuals – is that good? Barcelona is a fan-owned club with €1.5 billion debt – does that work?' In that sense, despite not achieving Al-Khelaifi's stated aim of winning the Champions League within five seasons of the takeover, can it really be said that QSI's project with PSG has failed? 'They definitely achieved their objective of building a brand,' says Coll. 'PSG 15 years ago and PSG now is completely different. I think they've been very successful in this marketing aspect. I see people in the street wearing PSG clothes and they don't really care about the club, it's just what they like to wear. People know PSG all around the world. 'The sporting aspect of recruiting Messi, for example, I don't think was the right one,' he adds. 'But to think that Messi played for PSG, it just gives you something else.' Nonetheless, there is the sense that this phase of the project has run its course, that PSG is not going to get any more famous. What the club needs now is to be liked – not just by fans like Coll and Messina who have finally found a group of players they can get behind, but by those in the wider soccer sphere. One way the club has begun to achieve that, according to French soccer expert Jonathan Johnson, is by finally starting to lean more on its French contingent. 'Certainly, for other fan bases in France, they're a bit more likeable,' he told CNN Sports. 'I think the fact that the team is starting to be composed of quite a high number of domestic talents – which isn't something that's always been the case under the Qatari ownership – I think that's something that helps their popularity a little bit within France.' With French soccer already in financial turmoil and facing another potential crisis after talks over a Ligue 1 TV rights deal broke down again in April, even some fans of PSG's bitter rival Olympique de Marseille (OM) have gotten behind Les Parisiens. 'Obviously, Marseille fans are not going to become PSG supporters overnight,' says Johnson. 'But fairly prominent and high-profile OM supporters have issued their public support of PSG, wanting to see PSG succeed (in the Champions League) for the best for the young (players) and French football.' But admiration and respect from fans of other French teams is only ever going to be begrudging at most. How can the club improve its image around the world, where international fans are less concerned with local rivalries? Well, the thing about soccer, which is perhaps one of the reasons it has proven so attractive to nation states trying to exert soft power, is that there is one surefire way to improve your reputation: win. Winning is so important, says Johnson, that PSG's improved image could be under threat should it lose in Munich. 'It's a critical juncture in terms of these changing attitudes towards PSG because I think if PSG do manage to succeed then I think that change of perception is more likely to remain than should PSG fall short against Inter,' he explains. Should PSG win, though, this young team would go down in history as the first ever to bring the Champions League to Paris, and only the second to bring it to France, following Marseille's triumph in 1993. 'I'm pretty confident in the team and I will dare to dream that we can win this trophy,' says Messina. 'Me and Hugo, we've seen a lot, we've cried a lot, we've enjoyed a lot. And now we can potentially celebrate something together.' If PSG is to make history and beat Inter on Saturday, the transformation from spoiled superstars to a likeable collective will have an ending that the club's ownership has been dreaming of, and there will likely be even more fans joining Coll and Messina next season.
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Business
- Japan Times
PSG and Inter Milan set for Champions League final showdown
Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan will lock horns in Saturday's Champions League final with the French side hoping to win European club soccer's biggest prize for the first time and the Italians eyeing their fourth title. The match, which kicks off at Bayern Munich's 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena at 9:00 p.m. (Sunday at 4:00 a.m. in Japan), pits an experienced Inter against a PSG team appearing in its second final since the transformative Qatari takeover of the club in 2011. Whoever wins will succeed Real Madrid as champions, and excitement is notably at a fever pitch back in Paris, where around 40,000 people will watch on giant screens at PSG's Parc des Princes stadium and a huge police presence is planned around the city. The climax to the European season has thrown up a mouthwatering clash of opposing styles and ideas of how to build a team, a contest between one of the continent's old guard and one of the state-owned modern superclubs. Despite enormous spending, PSG has never won the Champions League before, coming closest by reaching the final in 2020. That was during the pandemic, when PSG lost to Bayern behind closed doors in Lisbon, despite the presence of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar up front. The addition of Lionel Messi a year later did not help PSG in its quest to claim the trophy, and its brilliant run to Munich has come in the season after Mbappe followed the South American superstar duo out of the exit door. "There have been great times, difficult times, but we have a glorious opportunity to do something remarkable and historic for this club," captain Marquinhos said on Friday. Under Spanish coach Luis Enrique, an exciting young Paris side has taken Europe by storm in recent months, with a comeback win in January against 2023 champion Manchester City proving the catalyst. Since then PSG has knocked out three more Premier League sides — Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal — en route to the final, and has completed a French league and cup double. Paris Saint-Germain players participate in a training session ahead of the Champions League final on Friday in Munich. | AFP-JIJI Ousmane Dembele has been the team's star player with 33 goals, ably assisted by fellow forwards Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Others like Achraf Hakimi, formerly of Inter, and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma have also been superb. "My biggest motivation is to make history for Paris and give the city and club something to celebrate," said Enrique, who is looking to win his second Champions League title, 10 years after leading Barcelona to glory. Victory for PSG would make the club just the second French winner of the competition — Marseille's 1993 triumph also came in Munich, at the old Olympic Stadium, and against Inter's city rivals, AC Milan. Inter was the last Italian winner, when Jose Mourinho's side defeated Bayern in Madrid in 2010. It also won it twice in successive years in the 1960s. Coach Simone Inzaghi was already in charge when the Nerazzurri got to the final two years ago and lost narrowly to City. As many as eight of the team that started that night in Istanbul could do so again here, and an experienced lineup should feature three players age 36 or over. Inzaghi's side beat Bayern in the quarterfinals before getting the better of Barcelona in an epic tie in the last four. Captained by star Argentinian forward Lautaro Martinez, Inter will set up in a 3-5-2 formation that contrasts sharply with the 4-3-3 of PSG. "Last time against Manchester City we produced a top-class performance but didn't win, so this time we hope to be a bit more switched on," said midfielder Nicolo Barella, recalling the 2023 final. Inter Milan's Stefan de Vrij (left) and Benjamin Pavard participate in a training session on Friday in Munich. | AFP-JIJI "These matches come down to fine margins, but we will try to bring home the trophy, that is the dream for all of us. "After a season like this one I think we deserve to win this final," added Barella, whose side missed out to Napoli for the Serie A title on the last day of the campaign. It is, remarkably, the first ever competitive encounter between the teams. While fans flooded into the German city on Friday, back in Paris, fan zones have been set up at three locations beyond PSG's stadium. Police will deploy more than 5,000 officers in the city and its suburbs during the final after violence erupted following PSG's last-four victory against Arsenal. In Milan, meanwhile, tens of thousands will also watch the game at Inter's San Siro stadium.
India Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- India Today
Champions League Final: Flair meets discipline as PSG face Inter Milan in a battle of contrasting styles
France's Paris Saint-Germain are set to face Italy's Inter Milan in the final of the Champions League on Saturday, May 31. The French champions, synonymous with flair, speed and agility, will be squaring off against the Italian runners-up Inter Milan, who are known for their tactical mettle and maturity on the are under the coaching of Spaniard Luis Enrique, where they have banished the star culture which was prevalent in the team. The project PSG, which brought Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe together hoping for a Champions League title, would never have believed in a thousand years that all it took to reach the final and start as the favourites was the abolishment of one thing they were known Milan, on the other hand, coached by the brilliant Simone Inzaghi, are in their second final in three years. Inzaghi's tactical brilliance has kept the ageing squad together. His mastery was proven in the two nights of the semi-final against Barcelona, where Inter ground out a win against the behemoth that the Blaugrana have been this season. In sharp contrast, PSG swatted their way into the Champions League final, beating Arsenal in both legs of the semi-final. Success for PSG would make them the first French champions of Europe since bitter rivals Marseille in 1993, and finally reward years of huge investment from their Qatari backers, who bought a majority stake in the club in face the prospect of a trophyless season after seeing Napoli pip them to the Serie A title. But Inter have shown they are a threat on the European stage after epic wins over Barcelona in the semi-finals and Bayern Munich in the you lose in training #UCLfinal UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 30, 2025advertisementHere's everything you need to know about the Champions League Final:Champions League final: TimingThe Champions League final between Inter Milan and PSG will kick off at 12:30 AM IST on June League final: Live streaming detailsIn India, the match will be livestreamed and broadcast by the Sony Sports League final: Players to look out forGeorgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has starred for the team since joining from Napoli in January. Bradley Barcola, Dsir Dou and Ousmane Dembl are chipping in the goals. The team has one of the world's best goalkeepers in Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is enjoying his best ever football at the the other hand, Inter count on Argentina star Lautaro Martnez to lead the team with his captaincy and goals. They also have some solid players in defence, led by their goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who single-handedly kept Inter from conceding a truckload of goals against Barcelona in the League final: VenueThe match will take place in Bayern Munich's 75,000-capacity home known as Allianz League final: Possible line-upsPSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joo Neves, Vitinha, Fabin Ruiz; Kvaratskhelia, Dembl, BarcolaInter Milan: Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, alhanolu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro Martnez, ThuramChampions League final: Match FactsadvertisementPSG could become only the second French champion. The closest they came beforehand was the 2020 final lost to Bayern after a tournament restructured due to the last success in 2010 ended their long wait since wins in 1964 and 1965. But they lost on their last appearance in the final, to Manchester City in 2023. This will be their seventh final altogether. They have won three and lost three so will be the fifth European Cup final in Munich. Each of the previous four produced a first-time winner: Nottingham Forest in 1979, Marseille in 1993, Borussia Dortmund in 1997, and Chelsea in 2012.
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
PSG's young stars face Inter Milan's experience in Champions League final showdown in Munich
MUNICH, May 31 — Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan will lock horns in today's Champions League final with the French side hoping to win European club football's biggest prize for the first time and the Italians eyeing their fourth title. The match, which kicks off at Bayern Munich's 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena at 9pm (1900 GMT/3am Malaysian time), pits an experienced Inter against a PSG team appearing in their second final since the transformative Qatari takeover of the club in 2011. Whoever wins will succeed Real Madrid as champions, and excitement is notably at fever pitch back in Paris, where around 40,000 people will watch on giant screens at PSG's Parc des Princes stadium and a huge police presence is planned around the city. The climax to the European season has thrown up a mouthwatering clash of opposing styles and ideas of how to build a team, a contest between one of the continent's old guard and one of the state-owned modern superclubs. Despite enormous spending, PSG have never won the Champions League before, coming closest when they got to the final in 2020. That was during the pandemic, when they lost to Bayern behind closed doors in Lisbon, despite the presence of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar up front. The addition of Lionel Messi a year later did not help them in their quest to claim the trophy, and their brilliant run to Munich has come in the season after Mbappe followed the South American superstar duo out of the exit door. Paris Saint-Germain's players look on during the MD-1 training session on the eve of the Uefa Champions League final football match between Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich May 30, 2025. — AFP pic 'Do something historic' 'There have been great times, difficult times, but we have a glorious opportunity to do something remarkable and historic for this club,' captain Marquinhos said yesterday. Under Spanish coach Luis Enrique, an exciting young Paris side has taken Europe by storm in recent months, with a comeback win in January against 2023 champions Manchester City proving the catalyst. Since then, PSG have knocked out three more Premier League sides — Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal — en route to the final, and have completed a French league and cup double. Ousmane Dembele has been their star player with 33 goals, ably assisted by fellow forwards Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Others like Achraf Hakimi, formerly of Inter, and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma have also been superb. 'My biggest motivation is to make history for Paris and give the city and club something to celebrate,' said Luis Enrique, who is looking to win his second Champions League title, 10 years after leading Barcelona to glory. Victory for PSG would make them just the second French winners of the competition — Marseille's 1993 triumph also came in Munich, at the old Olympic Stadium, and against Inter's city rivals AC Milan. Inter Milan supporters cheer on the eve of the UEFA Champions League final football match between Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Marienplatz square in the center of Munich May 30, 2025. — AFP pic Italian experience Inter were the last Italian winners, when Jose Mourinho's side defeated Bayern in Madrid in 2010. They also won it twice in successive years in the 1960s. Coach Simone Inzaghi was already in charge when the Nerazzurri got to the final two years ago and lost narrowly to City. As many as eight of the team that started that night in Istanbul could do so again here, and an experienced line-up should feature three players aged 36 or over. Inzaghi's side beat Bayern in the quarter-finals before getting the better of Barcelona in an epic tie in the last four. Captained by star Argentinian forward Lautaro Martinez, they will set up in a 3-5-2 formation that contrasts sharply with the 4-3-3 of PSG. 'Last time against Manchester City we produced a top-class performance but didn't win, so this time we hope to be a bit more switched on,' said midfielder Nicolo Barella, recalling the 2023 final. 'These matches come down to fine margins, but we will try to bring home the trophy, that is the dream for all of us. 'After a season like this one I think we deserve to win this final,' added Barella, whose side missed out to Napoli for the Serie A title on the last day of the campaign. It is, remarkably, the first ever competitive encounter between the teams. While fans flooded into the German city yesterday, back in Paris fanzones have been set up at three locations beyond PSG's stadium. Police will deploy more than 5,000 officers in the city and its suburbs during the final after violence erupted following PSG's last-four victory against Arsenal. In Milan, meanwhile, tens of thousands will also watch the game at Inter's San Siro stadium. — AFP
