Hegazi influence, Al-Hilal drought: 5 things we learned from round three of SPL season

Despite dominating the match, Al-Hilal failed to break down Al-Batin’s defense. (Twitter: @Alhilal_EN)
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Updated 28 August 2021
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Hegazi influence, Al-Hilal drought: 5 things we learned from round three of SPL season

  • How Fabio Carille’s unlucky break cost him his job, and Al-Taawoun find new ways to drop points

It has been another big week in Saudi Arabian football as the league breaks for World Cup qualifiers. Here are five things we learned about the third round of matches in the 2021-22 Saudi Professional League.

1. Coronado and Hegazi make the difference

Fabio Carille would be forgiven if he shook the head on Friday as Ahmed Hegazi and Igor Coronado scored the goals that gave Al-Ittihad a 2-1 win over Al-Faisaly. Hegazi, a defender, missed the Arab Cup final last week that Ittihad lost on penalties and, given the fact that it was a 4-4 draw, had the Egyptian played then the result could have been different.

The defeat cost Carille his job and it is one of those football cruelties that the big summer signing Igor Coronado made his SPL debut once the coach had been fired. The Brazilian showed signs of the form that made him the standout player in the United Arab Emirates last season. His winning goal was well taken, a touch and then a flick over the goalkeeper. It was a goal that suggested there is more to come but it was too late for Carille.

2. Al-Nassr go from crisis to top

A few days ago there were whispers against Al-Nassr boss Mano Menezes. A win and a defeat was a mixed start but there were concerns about the style and the predictability of the football. The rumours were serious enough for the club president Musalli Al-Muammar to publicly deny there were plans to fire the former boss of the Brazil national team —though it should be noted that he said this after Al-Nassr defeated Al-Taawoun 3-1 despite falling behind after 88 minutes. Whatever the issues at the club, there was plenty of fighting spirit in the team.

The turnaround was helped by two goals from Abderrazzak Hamdallah and that will be welcome to fans as it looked like the Moroccan marksman was on his way out of the club. His second, coming after 103 minutes and 23 seconds, was the latest goal ever scored in the Saudi Pro League. By recapturing the form of the season before last and with new Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar looking dangerous too, Al-Nassr’s week ended in complete contrast to how it started. For a while, the club was on top of the league.

3. Two up top not yet working for Al-Hilal

In Saudi Arabia, the default formation is 4-2-3-1 but Leonardo Jardim has come in and, for the first three games of the season, played a 4-4-2. A little variety is always welcome, though the duo of Moussa Marega and Bafetimbi Gomis, formidable as it is on paper, has yet to click on the pitch. They have scored just once between them so far this season. In fact, the champions have not scored inside the first 80 minutes so far this season.

The 0-0 draw against Al-Batin was one-way traffic for the most part with the hosts having all the possession but while Marega had a couple of headers, not enough chances of quality were created. Al-Hilal legend Sami Al-Jaber said that the coach has to use the international break to iron out a few issues but seven points from three games is still a good start and there is no need to panic.

4.Al-Shabab are the new crisis club

It was Al-Ittihad first, then it was Al-Nassr, but there is no doubt that it is Al-Shabab who are in trouble now. One point from the first three games is not what was expected from a team that finished second last season and was hoping to go one better this time.

In the first game it could be said that the team was caught cold, in the second it was careless in throwing away a 3-0 lead in the final minutes, but there wasn’t much that could be said about the 2-0 defeat at the hands of Al-Fateh.

The sending-off of Ever Banega midway through the first half changed the game but that will not help coach Pericles Chamusca. The Brazilian boss may be regretting leaving Al-Faisaly in June and is experienced enough to know that the international break often sees underperforming and impatient clubs make changes to the coaching staff. If he survives the next two weeks then victory against Al-Hazem when the league restarts is crucial.

5. Al-Taawoun have a late problem

Fourth-placed last season, Al-Taawoun should have nine points from nine this time around instead of just one. How can it be that a team which opens the scoring in the 88th minute can end up losing 3-1? A look at the opening two games may provide some insight. In the opening game, Al-Taawoun were leading Al-Hazm 3-1 with 20 minutes to go and drew 3-3. Last week, they were a goal up against Al-Hilal with nine minutes remaining and lost 2-1.

Last week the club fired coach Nestor El-Maestro but the team took it all to a new level on Thursday. A lack of fitness and the ensuing problems with concentration look to be at the heart of this throwing away of points.


Report: PIF’s LIV Golf investments nearing $5 billion

Updated 06 May 2025
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Report: PIF’s LIV Golf investments nearing $5 billion

  • Money in Sport had previously projected an increase in the PIF investment of $5 billion by the end of 2025

NEW YORK: LIV Golf’s investors are reaching into their pockets again for funding, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund nearing $5 billion in spending on the three-year-old league.

LIV Golf Investments, the parent company for worldwide LIV Golf operations, has increased its authorized share capital twice this year, once in mid-January and once late in April, for a total of $674.3 million, according to the Money in Sport newsletter on Monday.

This brings the total spend to $4.58 billion, with $1.9 billion of that coming since January 2024.

Money in Sport had previously projected an increase in the PIF investment of $5 billion by the end of 2025.

With a reference to $82 million in revenue from January to October 2024, PIF’s filing included the first time a consolidated revenue figure for LIV Golf has been publicly disclosed.

The filing shows the latest authorizations come with three conditions: a minimum number of events this season, a minimum revenue and a finalized TV deal with Fox Sports.

LIV Golf has made significant changes this year, including Scott O’Neill replacing Greg Norman as CEO in addition to altering its team format to make all players’ scores count in every round.

LIV Golf’s first event in the US of 2025 brought record viewership for the league, with 484,000 people tuning in to watch Marc Leishman’s triumph in Miami on April 8.

Unfortunately for the Saudi-backed league, that was still less than a third of the number of people who opted to watch a standard PGA Tour event the same day.

“I think we all hoped it would have been a little bit further along, and that’s no secret,” American golfer Brooks Koepka said ahead of the LIV Golf Miami tournament at Trump National Doral on April 2.

“No matter where you’re at, you always hope everything is further along. But they’re making progress, and it seems to be going in the right direction.”


Zhao’s title success at world championships shines light on snooker’s growth in China

Updated 06 May 2025
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Zhao’s title success at world championships shines light on snooker’s growth in China

TAIPEI: Once considered a saloon or rec-room past-time by many, snooker has long been serious business in the UK and much of the rest of the world. Now, it seems, it’s China’s turn in the spotlight.

Zhao Xintong’s crowning as Asia’s first world snooker champion has put the focus on the growth of the sport in China in a relatively short time.

“There’s a new superstar of the game,” said Mark Williams, 50, the three-time world champion from Wales who lost to Zhao in the final of the World Snooker Championship, held in Sheffield, north England, on Sunday. “It could be huge for the sport.”

Brought to China by foreign traders in the 19th century, snooker suffered during the early Communist period, when all pastimes seen as individualistic, bourgeois and foreign were frowned upon. The first ranking event to be held in Asia was the Hong Kong Open in 1989. The following year China hosted the Asian Open.

The death in 1976 of Mao Zedong, opened the doors for the sport and snooker has now moved from smoky backstreet parlors and outdoor shopfront street-side tables — amazingly kept level by the bricks they sat on — to swanky halls and practice venues.

Former world No. 1 Ding Junhui blazed the trail for Zhao and others like him, even as enthusiasm for the sport may be waning somewhat among a younger generation infatuated with e-sports and smartphone games.

Zhao himself may be the best thing to happen to China-British relations in recent years, with ties under pressure over trade and China’s curtailment of democracy in the former British colony of Hong Kong. The 28-year-old now lives and trains in Sheffield, and enjoyed strong support from the British fans at Sunday’s final.

Raised in the bustling industrial center of Shenzhen, Zhao picked up a cue at age eight and, somewhat surprisingly for education-obsessed Chinese parents, received strong support from his parents, who built him a practice room at home.

That didn’t fully shield him from the shadier side of the sport, however. He was banned for 20 months as one of 10 Chinese players implicated in a match-fixing scandal. Zhao owned up to knowledge of what was happening, although he said he wasn’t directly involved. He returned to the sport in September 2024 as an amateur. requiring him to battle his way back up the ranks.

Boost for the game in China

Dubbed “The Cyclone,” Zhao now stands at 11th in the world rankings and his combination of youth and talent is being celebrated across the country.

His expressions of disbelief at his world title was witnessed by millions of television viewers in China, with many praising him in online posts as the “pride of China” who “brought tears to one’s eyes.”

“It’s worth celebrating in China,” said Tong Jianfeng, 29 and long-time fan of the game. “Through the whole process, Zhao Xintong played smoothly. His precision is impressive.”

Huang Siyuan, also 29, agreed, “It didn’t come easy. I feel proud for Chinese billiards.”

Wang Heng, the manager and founder of Beijing Xinrui Billiard Academy, located in Tongzhou, just outside the capital, said Zhao’s success will be positive for the domestic game.

“I believe this will make Chinese players very confident because they would realize the world championship is no longer something difficult to break,” he said. “They will be more and more sure of themselves.”

‘On a pedestal’

There may already be more Zhao’s in the works. At this year’s world championships, 10 Chinese players qualified for the main draw and six made it into the final 16 — the highest ever.

“Now this will give them (children in China) power and in the future many Chinese players can do this,” said Zhao covered in confetti and a Chinese flag after taking the title.

International recognition will be crucial to the sport’s continued growth, according to Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.

“The one thing we do know about China is that snooker is treated like any other major Olympic sport, it is on a pedestal, it does get major broadcast hours and it really is supported by government and education systems,” Ferguson told The Associated Press.

“The sport is extremely well-respected. To have a world champion is really just incredible.”


Bayern keeper Urbig eyes another title after winning Bundesliga

Updated 06 May 2025
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Bayern keeper Urbig eyes another title after winning Bundesliga

  • The 21-year-old could end up collecting a second title with second-tier club Cologne
  • Urbig made 10 appearances for them this season

BERLIN: Bayern Munich keeper Jonas Urbig celebrated his first Bundesliga title on Sunday with his team sitting eight points clear at the top with two games left to play.
But the 21-year-old, who is first choice at Bayern with Manuel Neuer injured, could end up collecting a second title with second-tier club Cologne.


Urbig made 10 appearances for them this season before his January transfer to Bayern. Cologne are second in the standings, a point behind leaders Hamburg SV with two matches remaining.
“I am in very good contact with the lads and I would be extremely happy if Cologne win the second division title,” Urbig said.
Only two players have previously achieved this feat, Pasi Rautiainen with Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen in the 1980/81 season and Frank Hartmann in 1986/87, with Bayern Munich and Hannover 96.


Saudi Arabia to host Youth National Teams Championship during summer

Updated 06 May 2025
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Saudi Arabia to host Youth National Teams Championship during summer

  • Eight Gulf football national teams will be divided into two groups
  • The tournament marks the first age-category competition held under the supervision of GCFF

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will host the first Youth National Teams Championship between Aug. 28 and Sept. 9 with the participation of eight Gulf teams, the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation announced on Tuesday.
The new tournament will see participating teams divided into two groups, each consisting of four teams.
Each group’s top two teams will advance to the semifinals, according to a media statement, which added that the details regarding the draw dates will be announced soon.
The tournament marks the first age-category competition held under the supervision of the AGCFF.
It is also a step aimed at supporting and progressing the base of youth tournaments and reinforcing the focus on promising young players as the core foundation of the future of Gulf football.
The AGCFF is a regional sports organization dedicated to organizing and developing football in the Arabian Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Oman and Yemen. It has been best known for organizing the Arabian Gulf Cup, one of the region’s most prominent sporting events.
The idea of establishing the federation began with preparatory meetings held in 2015 under the name Gulf Football Federation. In May 2016, it was officially founded under the name Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, reflecting its close connection to the oldest sports tournament in the region, the Gulf Cup.


Aston Villa officials unhappy with Premier League fixture change, citing ‘prejudice’

Updated 06 May 2025
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Aston Villa officials unhappy with Premier League fixture change, citing ‘prejudice’

  • The match was due to be played on Sunday, May 18, but will now take place on Friday, May 16
  • Monchi, president of football operations at Villa, took to X to say the change in match date “is not what we wanted” and represented “the least damaging alternative”

LONDON: Aston Villa officials have expressed their unhappiness with the Premier League for bringing forward a match against Tottenham by two days to help Spurs maximize preparation time for a potential appearance in the Europa League final.
The match was due to be played on Sunday, May 18, but will now take place on Friday, May 16 — five days before the title match in the Europa League in Bilbao, Spain.
Tottenham lead Bodø/Glimt 3-1 from the first leg of the semifinals, with the return match on Thursday in Norway.
The fixture rearrangement gives Villa — a team chasing Champions League qualification — two fewer days to prepare for Tottenham, which might also choose to play a stronger lineup now there is more time to recover for a possible European final.
It also will affect travel and logistical arrangements for some Villa fans.


Monchi, president of football operations at Villa, took to X to say the change in match date “is not what we wanted” and represented “the least damaging alternative.”
“Our fans didn’t deserve (it),” he wrote on the social network site, “but we tried hard to keep the match to protect the most important for us: YOU and OUR TEAM.”
Damian Vidagany, Villa director of football operations, went further in a long post on X, saying there was a “clear prejudice” toward Villa fans and bemoaning the fact that his club “didn’t feel this support” over their last two European campaigns — in the Europa Conference League last season and the Champions League this season.
“European football is not only demanding for English clubs just on the verge of the finals,” Vidagany wrote.
Villa are in seventh place in the Premier League and in a battle with five other teams to secure the remaining four Champions League qualification spots on offer. Liverpool, the already crowned champion, have already qualified.
While it is commonplace in other countries, there has been no precedent for the Premier League moving games to benefit clubs playing in Europe.
Manchester United are also in the Europa League semifinals and hold a 3-0 lead over Athletic Bilbao from the first leg in Spain last week.
United will be playing a Premier League game on Friday, May 16, too — against Chelsea. So United and Tottenham would have the same amount of preparation time should they both reach the Europa League final.