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The Star
04-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-New managers making instant impact as Club World Cup quarter-finals take shape
Jun 30, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Al Hilal FC head coach Simone Inzaghi in the first half against Manchester City during a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images/File Photo PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -The expanded soccer Club World Cup is proving to be a stage for managerial fresh starts, with three of the eight quarter-finalists led by coaches appointed just weeks before the tournament – and all three have already stamped their authority on their new teams. Arguably none has made a bigger splash than Simone Inzaghi, who delivered one of the tournament's biggest shocks when his Al Hilal side stunned Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 4-3 in a breathtaking extra-time thriller. The 49-year-old Italian, who left Inter Milan after their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain just five weeks ago, got sweet revenge on Monday against the Premier League giants who had beaten his Nerazzurri in the 2023 Champions League final. Inzaghi took the win by playing steady, rock-solid defence and exploring the speed of his forwards up-front with long balls that exploited their opponent's aggressive, high-positioned defensive line. Malcom and Marcos Leonardo were a constant menace on the counter-attack throughout the match, while his defenders managed to slow down City's star-powered attack for most of the game. And when they were threatened, Moroccan goalkeeper Bono worked his magic with a string of world-class saves to frustrate their opponents and keep the Saudis in the game. Al Hilal's reward is a quarter-final clash with tournament underdogs Fluminense, who defied the Opta supercomputer's odds of just 0.05% to win the title and stunned Champions League runners-up Inter Milan 2-0 to reach the last eight. Initially tipped to exit in the group stage, the Brazilian side's remarkable run continues under Renato Gaucho, a former Fluminense striker and club legend who took charge three months ago. Renato has transformed a team that narrowly avoided relegation in 2024 into genuine contenders, with Colombian winger Jhon Arias emerging as a potential tournament MVP. Against Inter, Fluminense showed the grit and determination that have defined their campaign with a remarkable Arias and striker German Cano once again making the difference. Real Madrid complete the trio of new-manager success stories, with Xabi Alonso arriving a month ago to replace Carlo Ancelotti after a rare trophy-less season that included four consecutive defeats to Barcelona, including a humiliating 4-0 Clasico thrashing at the Bernabeu. Arriving with a reputation for innovative tactics following his trophy-laden stint at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso has started using a five-man defence, marking a significant departure from the traditional 4-3-3 formation used by predecessors Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane over the past decade. The change evoked memories of Vicente del Bosque's 2000 Champions League-winning side, the last Real Madrid team to adopt such a structure, as Real prepare to face Borussia Dortmund on Saturday off the back of three consecutive wins. As the tournament progresses, the early success of these new managerial appointments suggests that fresh ideas and bold decisions can reshape even the most storied teams. (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
New managers making instant impact as Club World Cup quarter-finals take shape
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Jun 30, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Al Hilal FC head coach Simone Inzaghi in the first half against Manchester City during a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images/File Photo PHILADELPHIA - The expanded soccer Club World Cup is proving to be a stage for managerial fresh starts, with three of the eight quarter-finalists led by coaches appointed just weeks before the tournament – and all three have already stamped their authority on their new teams. Arguably none has made a bigger splash than Simone Inzaghi, who delivered one of the tournament's biggest shocks when his Al Hilal side stunned Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 4-3 in a breathtaking extra-time thriller. The 49-year-old Italian, who left Inter Milan after their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain just five weeks ago, got sweet revenge on Monday against the Premier League giants who had beaten his Nerazzurri in the 2023 Champions League final. Inzaghi took the win by playing steady, rock-solid defence and exploring the speed of his forwards up-front with long balls that exploited their opponent's aggressive, high-positioned defensive line. Malcom and Marcos Leonardo were a constant menace on the counter-attack throughout the match, while his defenders managed to slow down City's star-powered attack for most of the game. And when they were threatened, Moroccan goalkeeper Bono worked his magic with a string of world-class saves to frustrate their opponents and keep the Saudis in the game. Al Hilal's reward is a quarter-final clash with tournament underdogs Fluminense, who defied the Opta supercomputer's odds of just 0.05% to win the title and stunned Champions League runners-up Inter Milan 2-0 to reach the last eight. Initially tipped to exit in the group stage, the Brazilian side's remarkable run continues under Renato Gaucho, a former Fluminense striker and club legend who took charge three months ago. Renato has transformed a team that narrowly avoided relegation in 2024 into genuine contenders, with Colombian winger Jhon Arias emerging as a potential tournament MVP. Against Inter, Fluminense showed the grit and determination that have defined their campaign with a remarkable Arias and striker German Cano once again making the difference. Real Madrid complete the trio of new-manager success stories, with Xabi Alonso arriving a month ago to replace Carlo Ancelotti after a rare trophy-less season that included four consecutive defeats to Barcelona, including a humiliating 4-0 Clasico thrashing at the Bernabeu. Arriving with a reputation for innovative tactics following his trophy-laden stint at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso has started using a five-man defence, marking a significant departure from the traditional 4-3-3 formation used by predecessors Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane over the past decade. The change evoked memories of Vicente del Bosque's 2000 Champions League-winning side, the last Real Madrid team to adopt such a structure, as Real prepare to face Borussia Dortmund on Saturday off the back of three consecutive wins. As the tournament progresses, the early success of these new managerial appointments suggests that fresh ideas and bold decisions can reshape even the most storied teams. REUTERS
Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Shock win over City was like conquering Mount Everest, says Al-Hilal's Inzaghi
Jun 30, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Al Hilal FC head coach Simone Inzaghi in the first half against Manchester City during a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images REUTERS ORLANDO, Florida - Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi likened his side's shock 4-3 extra-time win over Manchester City in the last 16 of the Club World Cup to "climbing Mount Everest without oxygen" after the Saudi side booked an unexpected berth in the quarter-finals. Inzaghi's side will face Brazil's Fluminense in the last eight on Friday after Marcos Leonardo scored a 112th minute winner for the Riyadh-based club to eliminate Pep Guardiola's team at the end of a seven-goal thriller in Orlando. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Al-Hilal have been majority-owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund since 2023 and over the last two years have invested heavily in big-name foreign signings including Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly. KEY QUOTES Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said: "The key to this result was the players, and the heart they put on the pitch tonight. We had to do something extraordinary because we all know Manchester City, that team. "We had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen and we made it. All the players were exceptional in everything, in the possession phase, the non-possession phase. "We were very well organised in possession and we played well from a technical point of view against a team which is really aggressive and strong in possession. "(Pep) Guardiola, I believe, is the best coach in the world, but tonight we did our best and I believe we deserve this result." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Shock win over City was like conquering Mount Everest, says Al-Hilal's Inzaghi
Jun 30, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Al Hilal FC head coach Simone Inzaghi in the first half against Manchester City during a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) -Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi likened his side's shock 4-3 extra-time win over Manchester City in the last 16 of the Club World Cup to "climbing Mount Everest without oxygen" after the Saudi side booked an unexpected berth in the quarter-finals. Inzaghi's side will face Brazil's Fluminense in the last eight on Friday after Marcos Leonardo scored a 112th minute winner for the Riyadh-based club to eliminate Pep Guardiola's team at the end of a seven-goal thriller in Orlando. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Al-Hilal have been majority-owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund since 2023 and over the last two years have invested heavily in big-name foreign signings including Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly. KEY QUOTES Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said: "The key to this result was the players, and the heart they put on the pitch tonight. We had to do something extraordinary because we all know Manchester City, that team. "We had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen and we made it. All the players were exceptional in everything, in the possession phase, the non-possession phase. "We were very well organised in possession and we played well from a technical point of view against a team which is really aggressive and strong in possession. "(Pep) Guardiola, I believe, is the best coach in the world, but tonight we did our best and I believe we deserve this result." (Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Leonardo double earns Al-Hilal shock Club World Cup win over Manchester City
Jun 30, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden (47) scores in extra time against Al Hilal FC during a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images REUTERS Jun 30, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Manchester City forward Erling Haaland (9) celebrates with midfielder Rodri (16) after scoring in the second half during a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images REUTERS Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Round of 16 - Manchester City v Al Hilal - Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida, U.S. - June 30, 2025 Al Hilal's Kalidou Koulibaly celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Lee Smith Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Round of 16 - Manchester City v Al Hilal - Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida, U.S. - June 30, 2025 Al Hilal's Marcos Leonardo in action with Manchester City's Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck REUTERS ORLANDO, Florida - Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal stunned Manchester City 4-3 in extra-time in Orlando on Monday to pull off one of the shocks of the Club World Cup and set up a quarter-final against Brazil's Fluminense. Marcos Leonardo scored his second of the night in the 113th minute as Simone Inzaghi's side saw off the Premier League club, who had taken a ninth minute lead through Bernardo Silva. Quick-fire goals from Leonardo and Malcom in six minutes immediately after the restart put Al-Hilal in front before Erling Haaland equalised for City in the 55th minute. Four minutes into extra-time, Kalidou Koulibaly headed in Ruben Neves' corner to put the big-spending Riyadh-based club back in front and while Phil Foden levelled again for City, Leonardo netted with seven minutes left to take Al-Hilal through. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
