Saudi Football Federation Unveils Redesigned King's Cup

The winner of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup receives a prize of 10 million Saudi Riyals. - SPA
The winner of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup receives a prize of 10 million Saudi Riyals. - SPA
TT

Saudi Football Federation Unveils Redesigned King's Cup

The winner of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup receives a prize of 10 million Saudi Riyals. - SPA
The winner of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup receives a prize of 10 million Saudi Riyals. - SPA

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) revealed the newly redesigned trophy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup during a ceremony held in Riyadh. The event was attended by club representatives, athletes, and media personnel.

The new King's Cup is an evolution of the previous design that was introduced in the 2011-2012 season.

Its unveiling follows Al-Hilal club's achievement of winning the cup for the fourth time. Under the competition's regulations, a team that wins the cup three consecutive times or four times in total has the right to keep the original trophy, SPA reported.

The new precious cup draws inspiration from past editions, incorporating the same design concept that emphasizes the cup's historical significance and value in the region.

The new trophy is crafted from 925 sterling silver coated with 24-carat pure gold. It weighs 9.32 kg, symbolizing the year 1932 when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was unified.

The new King's Cup is adorned with a football-shaped piece coated in gold and malachite, featuring four distinct handles. In the center, the emblem of crossed swords and a palm tree represents the Kingdom. The cup's name is manually engraved in a circular pattern.

Standing at a height of 54 cm, with a base diameter of 17 cm and a width of 18 cm, the cup rests on a base made of marble and malachite.



Real Boss Ancelotti Rues Missed Chances in 4-0 Loss against Barca

 Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks from the bench before a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP)
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks from the bench before a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP)
TT

Real Boss Ancelotti Rues Missed Chances in 4-0 Loss against Barca

 Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks from the bench before a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP)
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks from the bench before a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP)

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti lamented his side's missed opportunities in their stunning 4-0 home defeat to bitter rivals Barcelona in a LaLiga Clasico on Saturday but said it was not all doom and gloom despite the result.

"It was an evenly played match, until they scored their first goal. We played with intensity in the first half but lacked a bit of accuracy. We had chances to take the lead but they scored two goals, which sapped our energy. That's when another game started," Ancelotti told a press conference of Robert Lewandowski's quick-fire double early in the second-half to set the LaLiga leaders Barca on course for a 4-0 thrashing.

Prior to that, the home side had dominated possession and missed various chances, mainly through off-form Kylian Mbappe. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha wrapped Barca's win later.

"We are hurt, it's a tough moment, but I want to thank the fans for their support. We don't have to throw everything away, because there is nothing to throw away," added a downhearted Ancelotti.

"We have to forget the last 30 minutes. The season is very long, we must not give up. We have to learn from it. It's time to bounce back. The season is long. We must not throw everything away. The team can do better and we will."

Ancelotti said he thinks Real Madrid deserved better and that he didn't believe the result told the true story of the match, but acknowledged that his team paid the price for missing so many chances.

"The result doesn't reflect what happened on the pitch. We couldn't take the lead and they went ahead and took it. The game, until the first goal, was very even and we had more chances," Ancelotti said, before commenting on Mbappe's lackluster performance, being caught offside nine times.

"It was known that Barca use a high defense and we barely took advantage of it. (Mbappe) had chances and sometimes was offside, but he had three or four chances where he needed to be more accurate..."

Barca stretched their lead at the top with 30 points, six above Real who saw their 42-game unbeaten LaLiga run come to a bitter end after 13 months, leaving them one tantalizing positive result away from equaling the Catalans' league record of 43.