HONG KONG, April 21 — European football powerhouses Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus will headline a series of pre-season friendlies in Hong Kong this August, the clubs confirmed on Tuesday.
HONG KONG, April 21 — European football powerhouses Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus will headline a series of pre-season friendlies in Hong Kong this August, the clubs confirmed on Tuesday.
Managed by Pep Guardiola, Manchester City — currently battling Arsenal in the Premier League title race — are set to face Inter Milan on Saturday, August 1, with star striker Erling Haaland leading the line.
The match will launch the “Hong Kong Football Festival” at the newly built Kai Tak Stadium, a 50,000-capacity venue equipped with a retractable roof and air-conditioning to cope with the city’s summer heat.
Chelsea will then meet Juventus on Wednesday, August 5, to conclude the mini-tournament.
Inter, coached by Cristian Chivu, currently sit eight points clear at the top of Serie A as they chase a 21st league title, second only to Juventus, who hold a record 36 championships. Juventus, now under Luciano Spalletti, are in fourth place and aiming to secure a Champions League berth.
Chelsea, who defeated Paris Saint-Germain to win last year’s Club World Cup in the United States, have since parted ways with former manager Enzo Maresca. His successor, Liam Rosenior, is under pressure after a run of poor results that has seen the club slip to sixth in the Premier League.
It remains uncertain whether Rosenior will still be in charge by the time Chelsea arrive in Hong Kong, especially after a heavy aggregate defeat to PSG in the Champions League last 16.
Fans can also look forward to open training sessions, offering a chance to see stars such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Cole Palmer, Lautaro Martínez and Dušan Vlahović up close.
The football action will continue beyond the festival, with Bayern Munich and Aston Villa also set to play a friendly in Hong Kong on August 7.
Last year’s pre-season fixtures in the city drew sell-out crowds of 50,000, with fans turning out to watch Liverpool take on AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur face Arsenal in the first north London derby held outside the UK. — AFP
BANGKOK, April 24 — Thailand’s Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a petition accusing 44 current and former opposition lawmakers of ethics violations over their 2021 move to amend a law protecting the monarchy from criticism, according to Thai media reports.
PUTRAJAYA, April 24 — The Court of Appeal today dismissed Kepala Batas MP Dr Siti Mastura’s appeal against a High Court ruling ordering her to pay RM825,000 in damages and costs for defaming three DAP leaders by linking them to former Communist Party of Malaya leader Chin Peng.
THE HAGUE, April 23 — Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will stand trial at the International Criminal Court after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his controversial “war on drugs.”