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)

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06:59-28 April 2023 AD ـ 09 Shawwal 1444 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

06:59-28 April 2023 AD ـ 09 Shawwal 1444 AH

Al-Hilal Aiming for Record 5th Asian Champions League Title

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.

European Soccer Leaders Tell UEFA of Unhappiness with Longer 4-game Schedule

08 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester City forward Erling Haaland arrives at the City Football Academy (CFA) for a training session. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa

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11:35-9 October 2026 AD ـ 28 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

11:35-9 October 2026 AD ـ 28 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

European Soccer Leaders Tell UEFA of Unhappiness with Longer 4-game Schedule

08 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester City forward Erling Haaland arrives at the City Football Academy (CFA) for a training session. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa

European soccer federations told UEFA they are not happy with the new extended four-game blocks of international matches that finished this week.

Injured players like Kylian Mbappé missed too many games, Erling Haaland asked to come off in Norway’s fourth match, resources were stretched for coaches in smaller countries and extra demands were made on the time and money of fans and sponsors.

A “disaster,” said one official among multiple federations who spoke to The Associated Press on the sidelines of a closed-doors UEFA meeting Thursday in Berlin. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential debate.

UEFA said it will gather their views to weigh a submission to FIFA about the 16-day block that combined what used to be separate two-game breaks in September and October.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 30: Kylian Mbappe #10 of France during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between France and Sweden at New York New Jersey Stadium on June 30, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images/AFP

Still, the four-game early-season block is locked in for four more years on the FIFA-managed calendar for international matches that is finalized through 2030. That year national teams in Europe will play four games between Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. Next year they will be qualifying games for the 2028 European Championship.

Longer international breaks were long-time goal of Euro clubs Fewer but longer breaks for international games have long been wanted by European clubs seeking to limit disruption to their seasons, and cut long-haul travel for their players from outside the continent.

Still, the past three weeks have not been popular with one Champions League club, whose coach led his national team Croatia for two years including at the 2014 World Cup.

“We now have the issue of not only having the occasional player coming back injured, but also the fact you go two or 2½ weeks without any momentum,” Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač said this week. “We’re all starting from scratch now, in a sense.”

Sports

Everton Up for Sale after US Owner Says it is Exploring Investment Options

09 October 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: A general view of Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa

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11:13-9 October 2026 AD ـ 28 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

London: Asharq Al Awsat

11:13-9 October 2026 AD ـ 28 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Everton Up for Sale after US Owner Says it is Exploring Investment Options

09 October 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: A general view of Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa

Premier League Everton is on the market again after US owner the Friedkin Group announced Friday it was exploring investment options and a potential sale.

The Texas-based Friedkin Group only completed its purchase of the club in December 2024, ending the turbulent eight-year reign of former owner Farhad Moshiri.

“We will only entertain interest from parties who we strongly believe will be the right stewards to take the club forward and build on the momentum that has been established,” Everton said in a statement.

The announcement places fresh uncertainty over the nine-time English champion and founding member of the Premier League.

The takeover by the Friedkin Group ended a long-running saga over Everton's ownership, which had seen the collapse of a proposed buyout by the Miami-based private investment firm 777 Partners.

Everton said the group's options included the “potential sale of a controlling interest."

“When TFG became custodians of Everton, the club faced significant financial uncertainty and challenges both on and off the pitch,” the statement read, according to The Associated Press.

"The immediate priority was to provide the stability, investment and support needed to secure the club’s future, including helping to bring the long-promised stadium to completion for its deserving supporters.

“With that foundation now safely in place, the time is right to consider the next chapter for Everton.”

The Friedkin Group has a portfolio of companies in the automotive, entertainment, hospitality, sports and adventure industries including Italian team Roma.

British prime minister Andy Burnham is a fan of Everton and last month attended a game with Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney.

Sports

Russell to Go 'All-out' Ahead of Unusual Singapore Daylight Sprint as Antonelli Nears F1 Title

Mercedes' British driver George Russell drives during a practice session ahead of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore on October 9, 2026. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

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11:05-9 October 2026 AD ـ 28 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

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11:05-9 October 2026 AD ـ 28 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Russell to Go 'All-out' Ahead of Unusual Singapore Daylight Sprint as Antonelli Nears F1 Title

George Russell needs to throw everything he can at stopping — or even just delaying — Kimi Antonelli’s march to the Formula 1 title. That won’t be easy from the back of the grid at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Russell was third, with Mercedes teammate Antonelli ahead of him in second, when his power unit suddenly failed Sunday during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, leaving him with a penalty this week for an engine change.

After that, this week it's "all-out attack, just trying to enjoy the weekend," Russell said Thursday. "Obviously not an ideal situation, but Singapore is a place I love and I’ll try and carve my way through the pack.”

He made a good start Friday by setting the fastest time in practice.

With the final sprint race of the season Saturday, Russell and his rivals will have an unusual daylight race on the streets of the southeast Asian city state, before the typical night race Sunday. Qualifying for the sprint race is later Friday.

Russell said Singapore was “probably the second-bottom of the list” in terms of the ease of fighting back after a penalty and predicted he may need to serve another for an engine change before the season is over.

It's a big contrast with the last time Antonelli had to serve a penalty. Mercedes changed his engine for the Italian Grand Prix in a planned move, calculating that overtaking was easy enough at Monza that he could limit the damage. He did far more than that and took a statement victory in his home race.

Russell fastest in sole practice session With only one practice session because of the sprint, Russell went fastest by 0.198 of a second from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, with Lando Norris third-fastest for McLaren, .298 off the pace.

Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton was fourth, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri fifth and last week's winner Max Verstappen sixth for Red Bull.

Antonelli was seventh fastest, though his time was set on the slower medium tires. He went off-track into a runoff area late in the session.

Antonelli could clinch title in Texas Antonelli finished second behind Verstappen in Malaysia for his sixth podium finish in the last seven races, moving him 84 points clear of Russell in the standings.

With 33 points on offer across Singapore's sprint race and Grand Prix, if Antonelli scores 16 points more than Russell this week, he'd have a shot at sealing the title at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 25.

Norris may have a fix for his McLaren's straight-line speed problem, but this weekend could still spell the end of his title defense if Antonelli outscores the McLaren driver by 18 points. Leclerc and Verstappen could also be eliminated from contention.

Rain, haze, heat could test drivers Singapore is always a tough test for drivers because of the heat and humidity. This week, add in a haze of air pollution from forest fires in nearby Indonesia, too.

The haze was present last week in Malaysia, too. Singapore organizers said Friday they are monitoring the conditions but there are “currently no plans to modify our entertainment activities” around the race.

Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas has plenty of first-hand experience of the local conditions after cycling from Sepang to Singapore this week.

There's also a chance of rain affecting the action on Saturday and Sunday. Not only is a wet street track a tricky proposition, but there's extra scrutiny on the cars after a software bug on a wet track caused the start to be delayed in Malaysia.

The FIA says the software fix rushed out for Sunday's race is ready for use again in Singapore and a new version is coming for the United States Grand Prix.

Al-Hilal Aiming for Record 5th Asian Champions League Title

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European Soccer Leaders Tell UEFA of Unhappiness with Longer 4-game Schedule

Everton Up for Sale after US Owner Says it is Exploring Investment Options

Russell to Go 'All-out' Ahead of Unusual Singapore Daylight Sprint as Antonelli Nears F1 Title

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