Al-Hilal Aiming for Record 5th Asian Champions League Titlehttps://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4298886/al-hilal-aiming-record-5th-asian-champions-league-title
Al-Hilal Aiming for Record 5th Asian Champions League Title
File photo: Football - Club World Cup - Semi Final - Flamengo v Al Hilal - Grand Stade de Tanger, Tangier, Morocco - February 7, 2023 Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Al-Hilal Aiming for Record 5th Asian Champions League Title
File photo: Football - Club World Cup - Semi Final - Flamengo v Al Hilal - Grand Stade de Tanger, Tangier, Morocco - February 7, 2023 Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Al-Hilal is potentially 180 minutes away from extending its regional record of continental titles from four to five as it faces Urawa Reds of Japan in the first leg of the Asian Champions League final at Riyadh on Saturday.
With the Saudi national team upsetting eventual champion Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar last November, and Al-Hilal eliminating the champions of Africa and South America at the Club World Cup in February before losing the final 5-3 to Real Madrid, expectations are high in the host nation, The Associated Press said.
Al-Hilal is not only the defending continental champion -- and trying to become the first team since domestic rivals Al-Ittihad in 2004 and 2005 to win the AFC title back-to-back --but is also facing Urawa in the final for the third time in six years. The Japanese club won in 2017, with Al-Hilal avenging that two years later.
“We know that it's going to be a difficult game but that is what you expect when you reach a final,” Al-Hilal coach Ramon Diaz said. “We know what we have to do and we also know that this is the first half and then we go to Japan.”
Urawa is hosting the return leg on May 6 at Saitama Stadium, just north of Tokyo.
As well as several players who represented Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, Diaz can call upon in-form Odion Ighalo. The former Nigeria striker, who played on loan at Manchester United in 2020, leads the goal scoring standings in the Saudi Professional League with 18 goals so far this season.
He also has seven goals in the continental tournament —- two more in the final series will move him ahead of Edmilson Junior of Qatar Al-Duhail. Al-Hilal thrashed Al-Duhail 7-0 in February’s semifinals.
Urawa played its semifinal against Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea last August in what has been an elongated tournament. This edition started 14 months ago, with the delay resulting from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) transitioning to a calendar that mirrors the European competition.
Since Urawa’s last Asian Champions League game, Ricardo Rodriguez has been replaced as head coach by Maciej Skorza of Poland. Urawa is currently in fourth place in Japan’s top tier, and Al-Hilal is in fourth spot in the Saudi domestic league.
Birthday Boy and US Open Finalist Ben Shelton Advances at Shanghai Mastershttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5327637-birthday-boy-and-us-open-finalist-ben-shelton-advances-shanghai-masters
Ben Shelton of the USA reacts while in action against Daniel Altmaier of Germany during their Men's Singles match at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai, China, 09 October 2026. EPA/ALEX PLAVEVSKI
Birthday Boy and US Open Finalist Ben Shelton Advances at Shanghai Masters
Ben Shelton of the USA reacts while in action against Daniel Altmaier of Germany during their Men's Singles match at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai, China, 09 October 2026. EPA/ALEX PLAVEVSKI
US Open runner-up Ben Shelton celebrated his 24th birthday Friday by advancing to the third round of the Shanghai Masters with a 6-3, 7-6 (6) win over Daniel Altmaier in the ATP 1000-level tournament, The Associated Press reported.
Shelton played Davis Cup for the United States after the US Open, losing both his singles matches, after withdrawing from the Laver Cup team event.
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev, who beat Shelton in the final in four sets at Flushing Meadows, was scheduled to play Chinese wild-card entry Wu Yibing in the next match on the main Stadium Court at Shanghai.
Novak Djokovic, who won the China Open on Tuesday for a 102nd career title, was scheduled to play a night match Friday against Hubert Hurkacz.
In other early results Friday in Shanghai, ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur advanced to the third round on a walkover when his opponent, Alex Molcan, retired with an undisclosed ailment. De Minaur had to retire with an adductor injury in the China Open final against Djokovic.
Also Friday, qualifier Rei Sakamoto beat 23rd-seeded Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4.
No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from Shanghai this week when he announced he was taking the rest of 2026 off due to a right knee injury. Djokovic said Thursday he plans to reach out to Sinner about his injury-plagued season.
Saudi FA Source Tells Asharq Al-Awsat: No Deal with Martinez to Coach Saudi Arabiahttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5327500-saudi-fa-source-tells-asharq-al-awsat-no-deal-martinez-coach-saudi-arabia
Saudi FA Source Tells Asharq Al-Awsat: No Deal with Martinez to Coach Saudi Arabia
Donis celebrates with the Gulf Cup trophy. (Saudi Arabian Football Federation)
A Saudi Arabian Football Federation source denied reports of a deal with Roberto Martinez to replace Georgios Donis as national team coach, while multiple sources told Asharq Al-Awsat an agreement had been reached before Donis led Saudi Arabia to the Arabian Gulf Cup triumph.
The federation source told Asharq Al-Awsat that reports of an agreement with the Spaniard, who previously coached Belgium and Portugal, were untrue. Donis recently guided Saudi Arabia to the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup title in Jeddah.
Despite the federation’s assurances that Donis would stay, multiple sources said a deal with Martinez had been struck before the tournament. The Greek coach’s title triumph, however, could prompt the federation to reassess his future and scrap plans to finalize Martinez’s appointment.
Those sources said Matt Crocker, the federation’s technical director, had agreed terms with Martinez for a four-year stint at an annual salary of about 13 million euros. Their account directly contradicts the federation source’s denial.
A source in the national team’s management told Asharq Al-Awsat that Donis remained in charge, based on the information available to him. He said he knew of no plans for the Greek coach to leave or arrangements to terminate his contract.
The federation appointed Donis before the 2026 World Cup finals on a one-year contract that expires next June. His Gulf Cup success has reopened questions about whether he will stay for the next phase, with Saudi Arabia set to host the 2027 Asian Cup.
Asked about Donis’s future after the Gulf Cup triumph, federation President Bader Al-Ruzayza told Asharq Al-Awsat: “These are technical decisions, not ours. Ultimately, any decision concerning Donis comes from the technical side, whether the technical director or the relevant staff. We do not know what will happen, but Donis is with us, and you have seen what he has delivered.”
On the team’s tournament performance, he said: “Ultimately, there will be a technical assessment of the performance, and that is what we will look at, God willing.”
His comments leave the coaching question open. Despite the triumph in Jeddah, Al-Ruzayza offered no firm assurance that Donis would stay and gave no indication of plans to change the coaching staff, leaving the decision to a technical assessment.
Saudi Arabia claimed its fourth Gulf Cup title by beating the United Arab Emirates 2-0 in last Tuesday’s final at Alinma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. The victory ended a wait for the trophy stretching back to 2003.
Donis’s side won all three group games, edged Qatar on penalties in the semifinals and beat the UAE in the final, keeping clean sheets in all five matches.
It was a major morale boost for the Greek coach, who entered the tournament facing questions over the team’s performance and left with the trophy. That turnaround could weigh on the forthcoming assessment of his future.
Fans rallied behind Donis on social media on Thursday morning, calling for the federation to drop plans to appoint Martinez and keep the Greek coach. They pointed to his excellent relationships with the players and coaching strengths suited to their abilities.
Jordan’s Moroccan coach Badou Zaki said his team would face Saudi Arabia in a friendly on Dec. 27 as both sides prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup, which Saudi Arabia will host from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5.
Saudi Arabia has been drawn in Group A with Palestine, Oman and Kuwait. The hosts open against Palestine on Jan. 7, face Oman on Jan. 12 and finish the group stage against Kuwait on Jan. 17.
Saudi Arabia will also play South Korea and Uzbekistan in friendlies during the November international window as part of its Asian Cup preparations.
Saudi PIF Rewrites the 'Global Sports Economy'https://english.aawsat.com/sports/5327375-saudi-pif-rewrites-global-sports-economy
The summit’s business and leadership platform brought together a group of prominent decision-makers and specialists. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s investment presence in international sporting events is no longer limited to traditional forms of commercial sponsorships or one-off acquisitions. It has evolved into intellectual and strategic leadership that is reshaping the foundations of the global sports economy.
From the heart of the British capital, London, specifically at the historic Stamford Bridge stadium, which hosts the annual Leaders Week London summit, the high-level Saudi session reflected the depth of the structural transformation being led by the Kingdom and its effective shift from hosting seasonal events to creating a sustainable investment and development environment capable of shaping the future of the sector globally.
The special session, sponsored by the Public Investment Fund, highlighted how a “sporting superpower” can be built through a unique strategic integration of smart sovereign financing, major infrastructure development, and unprecedented operational excellence. This has made the Saudi experience a new economic benchmark aligned with the ambitions and targets of Saudi Vision 2030.
The summit’s business and leadership platform brought together a group of decision-makers and specialists leading this strategic transformation on the ground. Participants included Alanoud Althonayan, Head of Sponsorships and Events at the Public Investment Fund, and Feras Sheraiff, Head of Sports Investments for the Middle East and North Africa at the fund, who discussed the Kingdom’s financing dimensions and long-term economic vision.
On structural development and operational excellence at facilities, the session featured an extensive discussion with Xavier Campbell, CEO of radia, and Marc Archer, Executive Director of Sports Strategy and Partnerships at Qiddiya, highlighting how ambitious engineering and investment plans can be transformed into active assets that maximize returns and create sustainable opportunities.
Historically, most major investments in sports have focused on acquiring broadcasting rights or sponsoring the jerseys of major clubs to achieve rapid and temporary brand exposure. The current Saudi strategy, however, prioritizes investment in physical infrastructure to establish solid foundations for the sector. This transformation involves injecting unprecedented capital into the construction of modern stadiums, advanced training centers, and surrounding entertainment districts, based on an economic vision that considers ownership of advanced physical assets the only guarantee of attracting sporting elites, rights holders, and global sponsorship groups over the long term.
Qiddiya stands out as a key pillar and a living example of this structural vision. The construction of high-quality facilities such as the world-class racing circuit and the National Tennis Center, built to advanced engineering specifications, is not aimed merely at hosting a passing tour or tournament. Rather, it seeks to create a permanent infrastructure environment capable of hosting training camps and continental tournaments throughout the year, thereby increasing the investment efficiency of the real estate and sporting asset and transforming it into a productive and sustainable sector that generates tangible returns.
Countries that host major sporting events have historically faced a challenge known as “abandoned stadiums,” referring to large facilities that lose their function and vitality after competitions end and become a financial and administrative burden on governments. The Saudi model, however, has anticipated this challenge by focusing on operational excellence years before hosting major competitions.
This system was strengthened through the launch of radia, a company affiliated with SURJ Investment, which is owned by the fund, in partnership with global leaders in operations and entertainment such as Live Nation and Oak View Group, to ensure the continuity and vitality of events on a permanent basis.
The core philosophy of radia is to transform stadiums and sports arenas from facilities that operate only on seasonal match days into vibrant entertainment, cultural, and commercial destinations operating year-round without interruption.
This smart integration of sports and entertainment ensures sustainable financial flows that protect assets from declines in market value. At the same time, it contributes to creating thousands of permanent jobs for young Saudi talent in management, marketing, and hospitality, strengthening the local impact of sovereign investments.
Alanoud Althonayan, Head of Sponsorships & Events at the Public Investment Fund, speaks during the session (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Redefining Return Standards and Engineering Legacy Toward 4302
The Public Investment Fund’s investment vision has moved beyond traditional concepts of direct financial returns limited to ticket sales. The new Saudi benchmark is centered on making sports a major contributor to non-oil GDP, stimulating the sports tourism sector, and increasing the attractiveness of the domestic market to foreign investors.
This financial return is linked to a sustainable social impact, as investments contribute to increasing community participation in sports locally and developing an ideal environment for practicing them, which in turn improves the public health of citizens and creates a vibrant and active society.
The 2034 FIFA World Cup represents the most prominent milestone in these ambitions. However, the event is not viewed as a final objective whose implementation ends with the closing match. Instead, it is treated as a comprehensive development accelerator serving future generations.
All current investments discussed at the London summit, from stadiums to entertainment districts, are being designed to align with a clear and strict post-tournament plan, so that sports infrastructure will be immediately ready to support the growth of domestic leagues, make the Kingdom the Middle East’s leading regional hub for sports business, and create an integrated ecosystem capable of growing on its own.
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