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South China Morning Post
03-08-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Could Hong Kong Football Festival rival city's rugby sevens as its crown jewel?
As clubs and fans departed over the weekend following the Hong Kong Football Festival, the event's success raised the possibility of the city enjoying a repeat influx of visitors. Advertisement Organisers touted the festival's wider reach, with 'an estimated 35 per cent coming from overseas to take in the football – and the sights'. Attendances reflected the appetite for Hong Kong hosting multiple English Premier League sides, eight years since it had last done so, with 160,000 watching two matches and four training sessions featuring Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, plus Italian giants AC Milan. Ex-Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia was at his old club's game, after last year attending the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens. 'This could be similar, with Hong Kong people having the experience of big football matches every year,' he said. 'Instead of the costumes, you go wearing the shirt of your favourite team, but it still feels like a big party.' Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard leads his team in thanking the Kai Tak Stadium crowd. Photo: Sam Tsang Players, managers and executives were united in their desire to do it again, while Rachael Carroll, managing director of the event's promoter TEG Sport, said Hong Kong's 'passionate fans, world-class stadium and very supportive government' made repeating the formula attractive.
South China Morning Post
31-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Football Festival: city basks in job well done, Spurs boss hails ‘perfect' event
The curtain came down on the first Hong Kong Football Festival on Thursday, with a game between bitter rivals Arsenal and Tottenham that made a mockery of its friendly status and left organisers basking in the glow of a job well done. By any metric, they would consider the past week to have been a success, on and off the field, including a particularly impressive milestone for Kai Tak Stadium, which welcomed its 1 millionth visitor despite having been open for less than six months. Almost 60,000 fans turned out just to see the four teams train, and nearly 100,000 passed through the stadium's gates to watch Liverpool, AC Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham play the first pre-season games of substance in the city since the Asia Trophy in 2017. For the second game running, the crowd broke the record for attendance at a sporting occasion at the city's newest venue. This time, 49,975 crammed in, just 25 people short of the official capacity. Rachael Carroll, managing director of promoters TEG Sport, said the week had been 'a thrilling experience for everyone involved'. Tottenham players celebrate beating Arsenal in the Herbalgy Trophy at Kai Tak Stadium. Photo: Sam Tsang 'We can proudly say that the Hong Kong Football Festival has delivered on its promise to provide an unprecedented experience for football fans, right here in Hong Kong,' Carroll added.
South China Morning Post
31-07-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Football Festival: city basks in job well done, Spurs boss praises ‘perfect' occasion
The curtain came down on the first Hong Kong Football Festival on Thursday, with a North London derby that made a mockery of its friendly status and left organisers basking in the glow of a job well done. Advertisement By any metric, they would consider the past week to have been a success, on and off the field. Almost 60,000 fans turned out just to see the four teams train, and nearly 100,000 passed through the gates at Kai Tak Stadium to watch Liverpool, AC Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham play the first pre-season games of substance in the city since the Asia Trophy in 2017. For the second game running, the crowd broke the record for attendance at a sporting occasion at the city's newest venue. This time, 49,975 crammed in, just 25 people short of the official capacity, and among them was the stadium's 1 millionth visitor. Rachel Carroll, managing director of promoters TEG Sport, said the week had been 'a thrilling experience for everyone involved'. Tottenham players celebrate beating Arsenal in the Herbalgy Trophy at Kai Tak Stadium. Photo: Sam Tsang 'We can proudly say that the Hong Kong Football Festival has delivered on its promise to provide an unprecedented experience for football fans, right here in Hong Kong,' Carroll added.
