https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/40/feed Football news including matches, fixtures, transfers and results. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press Golf’s Asian Tour has postponed the Saudi International indefinitely and cycling’s Urban World Championships have been cancelled following a deadly attack on Riyadh, although local organisers said next year’s Asian Cup football tournament remained on track. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed ‌responsibility for Saturday’s strike on Riyadh’s international airport that killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300. The Urban Cycling World Championships had been scheduled for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3371147/asian-cup-football-remains-track-golf-cycling-events-affected-after-saudi-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3371147/asian-cup-football-remains-track-golf-cycling-events-affected-after-saudi-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:01:07 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Streetwise Lion City Sailors condemned Tai Po to a 1-0 AFC Champions League 2 defeat at Mong Kok Stadium on Thursday, but victorious boss Mark Jackson accused the hosts of “crossing a line” in their attempts to ruffle the Singaporean team. A husk of the side that was unbeaten at home in last season’s competition, following a summer firesale, Tai Po nevertheless ran themselves into the ground in a vain attempt to recover from the blow of Matthias Phaeton’s strike shortly after half-time. While... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3371057/afc-champions-league-2-hong-kongs-tai-po-cross-line-fail-tame-lion-city-sailors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3371057/afc-champions-league-2-hong-kongs-tai-po-cross-line-fail-tame-lion-city-sailors?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:33:26 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Chinese referee Ma Ning shared details about his “harrowing” journey after officiating an AFC Champions League Elite fixture in Saudi Arabia on social media on Wednesday. Amid escalating tensions in the region following a recent attack on Riyadh’s international airport, the six-member Chinese officiating crew led by Ma completed their match assignment despite severe travel disruptions and uncomfortable conditions in the host city. The officials were in Riyadh for the AFC Champions League Elite... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3371041/chinese-referee-ma-ning-recounts-harrowing-trip-officiate-match-cristiano-ronaldo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3371041/chinese-referee-ma-ning-recounts-harrowing-trip-officiate-match-cristiano-ronaldo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:00:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Seven years after Covid-19 put the brakes on Indonesia’s new women’s football league, Zahra Naqiyyah will finally return to the field with “high hopes” for the women’s game in the country. Sunday’s matches in the Indonesia Women’s League will be the first since 2019 and a new chapter for women’s football in the Muslim-majority country of 290 million people. “I really believe that if Indonesia’s women’s football is properly managed, we can become a powerhouse in Asia,” Zahra said at a training... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370989/high-hopes-indonesias-women-get-another-shot-national-football-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370989/high-hopes-indonesias-women-get-another-shot-national-football-league?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Six Kings Slam tennis tournament originally scheduled for ⁠October has been pushed back to late December, Fifa’s esports finals have been postponed, and officials are considering whether to move the Asian Cup to 2028, after the recent ⁠attacks on Saudi Arabia. A strike on Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, with Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claiming responsibility for the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370931/asian-cup-could-be-switched-2028-tennis-six-kings-slam-delayed-over-saudi-bomb-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370931/asian-cup-could-be-switched-2028-tennis-six-kings-slam-delayed-over-saudi-bomb-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 02:30:05 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Mark Jackson was a good enough footballer to make 18 Premier League appearances for Leeds United; to play at Old Trafford, Goodison Park, Highbury and Anfield; and to keep the prolific Ian Wright off the scoresheet in an FA Cup victory over Arsenal. As a coach, he led Leeds’ under-18 and under-23 teams to league titles. None of that afforded Jackson a second crack at management in his native England, after his first chance with MK Dons lasted only 4½ months. Not for Jackson the mulligan that is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370907/acl-2-tai-po-braced-face-ex-england-junior-player-roll-coach-far-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370907/acl-2-tai-po-braced-face-ex-england-junior-player-roll-coach-far-east?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:26 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The chair of English football’s independent regulator has said he expects Manchester City’s appeal after being found guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules to be heard by January. City, who have repeatedly maintained they are innocent of the charges, are currently top of the Premier League table with six wins out of six following their 3-0 win over Liverpool last weekend. No sanction has yet been announced, but City could face a heavy points deduction leading to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370899/regulator-expects-man-city-face-january-showdown-over-breaches-premier-league-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370899/regulator-expects-man-city-face-january-showdown-over-breaches-premier-league-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korea’s football association has told fans to stop “excessive personal attacks”, warning of the “psychological burden” they could inflict on national team players in the crosshairs since their World Cup flop. Hong Myung-bo quit as coach after the team failed to advance past the group stage in North America, and Spanish interim manager Robert Moreno is awaiting word on a possible extension. With the Asian Cup scheduled to take place in January in Saudi Arabia, the national side are engulfed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370831/south-korean-fa-condemns-personal-attacks-criticism-players-attempt-sow-discord?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370831/south-korean-fa-condemns-personal-attacks-criticism-players-attempt-sow-discord?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Tai Po have hauled Gabriel Mesquita over the coals after he posted a racially sensitive message on social media, issuing the teenage midfielder with a formal written warning and indefinitely suspending him from first-team training and matches. Brazilian Mesquita, who joined the local Premier League club as a free agent this summer, aggressively bit back after a Threads user wrote “Gweilo will always be Gweilo” in response to the player posting an image of his Hong Kong identity card application... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370753/hong-kong-premier-league-club-suspend-player-over-racially-sensitive-social-media-message?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370753/hong-kong-premier-league-club-suspend-player-over-racially-sensitive-social-media-message?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Gianni Infantino could survive weeks of criticism and secure re-election as Fifa president in the absence of a heavy hitter to challenge him, observers have said. The 56-year-old Swiss has lost the support of many associations in his bid to be re-elected to a fourth and final term since he launched and then hastily shelved his plan to allow private investment into the World Cup. Infantino, though, does crucially retain his core support in Africa and South America. His Fifa Forward Enterprise... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370681/fifa-president-infantino-could-pull-houdini-act-critics-struggle-candidate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370681/fifa-president-infantino-could-pull-houdini-act-critics-struggle-candidate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Almost half of women’s footballers are considering leaving the game early, with financial pressures and mental health struggles the main reasons, according to a Fifpro report highlighting the gulf between the sport’s rapid growth and conditions for most players. The 2026 Fifpro Global Employment Report “Working Conditions in Women’s Football”, billed by the global players’ union as the most extensive review of working conditions in the women’s game in a decade, interviewed 800 players worldwide... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370624/financial-mental-health-issues-pushing-women-footballers-towards-early-retirement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370624/financial-mental-health-issues-pushing-women-footballers-towards-early-retirement?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:00:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Enzo Maresca said Manchester City must “make their own noise” to drown out the distraction of the guilty verdict on over 100 charges of breaking Premier League financial rules. In their first match since the bombshell ruling, City showed they are unfazed by the uncertainty over potential sanctions as they ignored the hostile Anfield atmosphere to beat 10-man Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday. City boss Maresca has made a flawless start to the daunting task of replacing Pep Guardiola. The Italian has won... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370540/manchester-city-must-make-own-noise-amid-premier-league-financial-scandal-says-maresca?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370540/manchester-city-must-make-own-noise-amid-premier-league-financial-scandal-says-maresca?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:43:04 +0000 dpa dpa Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will publish all details of his dealings with Manchester City in his previous mayoral role after his intervention in support of the football club’s owners raised eyebrows. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had urged him to publish “everything” related to his work with the club as Greater Manchester mayor. City have been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. The club maintained their innocence and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370515/uk-pm-burnham-publish-manchester-city-dealings-after-intervention-draws-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370515/uk-pm-burnham-publish-manchester-city-dealings-after-intervention-draws-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:33:52 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Manchester City have a puncher’s chance of successfully contesting the ruling that they were guilty of all charges relating to flagrant breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, but should their argument fall flat, the 10-time English champions can expect to be clobbered with swingeing penalties. Those are the views of Luca Ferrari and Daniel Gore, specialists in sports and litigation law, respectively, after City were found guilty by a three-person independent commission of 80 charges... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370420/how-manchester-city-could-repeat-uefa-victory-and-hit-back-premier-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370420/how-manchester-city-could-repeat-uefa-victory-and-hit-back-premier-league?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Supreme Sha Tin have pulled off an astonishing coup after tempting David Silva out of retirement and into a short-term deal with the ambitious Hong Kong Premier League club. World Cup winner Silva hung up his boots three years ago following an enormously decorated career with Valencia, Manchester City and Real Sociedad. Nonetheless, the 40-year-old was unable to resist the opportunity with newly-promoted Supreme, who this week appointed Englishman Tom Ballantyne as their head coach, and he could... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370063/manchester-city-legend-david-silva-comes-out-retirement-hong-kong-stint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370063/manchester-city-legend-david-silva-comes-out-retirement-hong-kong-stint?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:15:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The reward of a military service exemption for gold medal-winning South Korean athletes could be abolished or reduced in future after public backlash to some controversial comments from winners at the Asian Games. Three players from the men’s football team came under fire for comments following South Korea’s 1-0 win over Japan in the Asian Games final last weekend in Japan. All three apologised but a broader debate had already reignited over whether athletes should receive special treatment for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370019/south-korea-signals-military-exemption-cuts-athletes-after-asian-games-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370019/south-korea-signals-military-exemption-cuts-athletes-after-asian-games-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 09:30:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lionel Messi described his retirement from international football as the “saddest day of my career” on Tuesday in Buenos Aires after playing his final game for Argentina in a 3-0 defeat of Benin. Messi, who scored a goal and provided two assists in the victory at the Monumental Stadium, took to the field after the win to express gratitude to fans and teammates as he reflected on his 21-year career with Argentina. “It was a huge source of pride for me to defend this jersey for more than 20... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369976/lionel-messi-calls-time-argentina-career-says-not-playing-will-be-deeply-painful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369976/lionel-messi-calls-time-argentina-career-says-not-playing-will-be-deeply-painful?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 03:29:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lionel Messi will pull on Argentina’s sky blue-and-white jersey for the last time on Tuesday and enjoy an emotional farewell in front of his adoring fans in a stadium with a name to match his legacy: Monumental. Some 85,000 Argentina fans will be on hand to watch the 39-year-old idol perform his wizardry in a friendly against Benin that brings down the curtain on his 21-year international career. Millions more will be following the action in South America’s largest arena, Buenos Aires’... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369915/end-era-lionel-messi-prepares-hang-argentina-boots-monumental-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369915/end-era-lionel-messi-prepares-hang-argentina-boots-monumental-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Jorn Andersen was on the brink of a sensational return as Hong Kong head coach earlier this year, only for talks to collapse and pave the way for interim boss Roberto Losada’s permanent appointment. Enormously popular with supporters after ending the city team’s 55-year wait to reach a major tournament at the last Asian Cup finals, Andersen ultimately accepted a “great offer” from Myanmar back in July. He had been unemployed for two months after leaving Yunnan Yukun when the local football... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369890/hong-kong-return-collapsed-because-football-bosses-cant-forgive-me-andersen-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369890/hong-kong-return-collapsed-because-football-bosses-cant-forgive-me-andersen-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki said he is confident Japan can win next year’s Asian Cup and thinks his “very bad” performances were responsible for their quarter-final exit two years ago. Suzuki, who has impressed in the Premier League since joining Villa in the summer, made a string of mistakes at the 2024 Asian Cup in Qatar as Japan were bundled out in the last eight by Iran. But he believes he is a better player this time around and backed Japan to end their 16-year wait for the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369891/villa-keeper-suzuki-eyes-asian-cup-atonement-after-very-bad-display-2024-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369891/villa-keeper-suzuki-eyes-asian-cup-atonement-after-very-bad-display-2024-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:00:21 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara As Hong Kong bathed in the afterglow of their Fifa Asean Challenge Cup triumph on Saturday, the level-headed Sun Ming-him cautioned that World Cup qualification remained a pipe dream for Roberto Losada’s team. What Sun, one of Hong Kong’s best players, did not know as he spoke was that despite the World Cup swelling to 48 teams this year, and another 16 potentially joining mammoth future editions, the city side’s qualifying task could soon become all but impossible. It has been reported that on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369794/proposed-asian-football-reforms-threaten-kill-hong-kongs-world-cup-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369794/proposed-asian-football-reforms-threaten-kill-hong-kongs-world-cup-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:13 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport What was meant to be a few glorious moments could spark policy reform in South Korea after post-match comments from a couple of gold-medal-winning footballers triggered heated debate. South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 at the Toyota Stadium to win their fourth straight – and seventh overall – men’s football title at the Asian Games, leading to 20 of the 23-strong squad earning exemptions from military service. While the exemption was not an exclusive perk for the country’s footballers but for all... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369707/south-korean-asian-games-footballers-joy-over-national-service-exemptions-raises-ire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369707/south-korean-asian-games-footballers-joy-over-national-service-exemptions-raises-ire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 13:00:16 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara More than 30,000 Hong Kong fans gave Gianni Infantino their raucous verdict on his leadership of world football on Saturday, before and after watching the city team beat Cambodia 2-0 to be crowned inaugural Fifa Asean Challenge Cup champions. Infantino, the Fifa president, was lustily booed when he delivered the trophy to the pitch alongside local football association president Pui Kwan-kay before kick-off. When he returned to present the spoils to Hong Kong, the stadium PA was raised to an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369668/fifa-asean-cup-gianni-infantino-incurs-hong-kong-fans-wrath-city-team-claim-trophy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369668/fifa-asean-cup-gianni-infantino-incurs-hong-kong-fans-wrath-city-team-claim-trophy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 14:28:28 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara A Hong Kong team “in transition” will battle upwardly mobile and ambitious Cambodia on Saturday for the unremarkable honour of being crowned Fifa Asean Challenge Cup champions. Although the city team copped some flak for their performance in a 2-0 victory over Brunei on Wednesday, having trounced the same opponents 10-0 three years ago, Roberto Losada and his players should be cut some slack after the head coach made nine changes from the 4-0 victory over Laos three days earlier. Equally, Hong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369607/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-hong-kong-city-team-set-cambodia-asean-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369607/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-hong-kong-city-team-set-cambodia-asean-final?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:20 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Hong Kong has become the latest stop on Gianni Infantino’s global tour to shore up support ahead of next year’s Fifa presidential election. The under-fire boss, who is still recovering from the fallout of his ill-fated plan to sell off the World Cup, arrived in the city on Friday and is expected to stay for the inaugural Fifa Asean Challenge Cup final between Hong Kong and Cambodia at Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday. While Eric Fok Kai-shan, chairman of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369631/gianni-infantino-brings-global-goodwill-tour-hong-kong-ahead-fifa-asean-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369631/gianni-infantino-brings-global-goodwill-tour-hong-kong-ahead-fifa-asean-final?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:48:51 +0000 Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press Manchester City have filed an appeal against an independent ⁠commission ruling that found the club ⁠guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League’s ⁠financial rules, seeking to overturn the verdict and avoid potentially severe sanctions. The league said on Tuesday that City had used “sham” commercial contracts as part of schemes to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900 million (US$1.19 billion) over nearly a decade. City were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369610/manchester-city-lodge-comprehensive-appeal-against-verdict-financial-rules-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369610/manchester-city-lodge-comprehensive-appeal-against-verdict-financial-rules-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:00:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Premier League has won a lengthy legal battle with Manchester City over financial impropriety, but the consequences could leave lasting damage for a league that has long been the envy of world football. City face severe sanctions after being found guilty of more than 100 charges between 2009 and 2018, with an independent commission exposing “sham” contracts to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million (US$1.2 billion). A hefty points deduction... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369452/manchester-city-scandal-risks-damaging-premier-leagues-booming-global-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369452/manchester-city-scandal-risks-damaging-premier-leagues-booming-global-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:00:10 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara It was nearly two years coming but when the Premier League’s verdict arrived this week it buried Manchester City. Quite how far beneath their current exalted status will become clearer in the fullness of time, although the 21 months needed to reach a conclusion over the 100-plus charges levied against them would suggest it will be a while before the club discovers if it will be fined, stripped of titles, docked points, relegated, or all of the above. “I’d put them in the lowest league they can... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369369/man-citys-egregious-rule-breaking-leaves-clubs-fans-waiting-see-what-happens-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369369/man-citys-egregious-rule-breaking-leaves-clubs-fans-waiting-see-what-happens-next?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Manchester City used “sham” commercial contracts as part of schemes ⁠to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900 million over nearly a decade, ⁠the Premier League said on Tuesday after an independent commission ruled the club guilty of serious breaches of financial rules. The commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the league’s financial rules over nine seasons, between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 campaigns, as well as three of four charges concerning their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369268/manchester-city-guilty-using-sham-deals-distort-finances-premier-league-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369268/manchester-city-guilty-using-sham-deals-distort-finances-premier-league-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:02:43 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara “Don’t get me started on financial fair play,” Vincent Kompany said, immediately after his Bayern Munich team had beaten Aston Villa in a pre-season friendly at Kai Tak Stadium last month. The same billionaire-owned Aston Villa that in May won the Europa League; that is competing in this season’s Champions League, yet was forced to sell a host of A-list stars over the summer to comply with financial regulations. As Bayern head coach, Kompany hugely benefits from the spending restrictions that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369230/man-city-might-be-biggest-cheats-sporting-world-has-ever-seen-what-comes-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3369230/man-city-might-be-biggest-cheats-sporting-world-has-ever-seen-what-comes-next?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Vladica Grujic said Hong Kong played “a completely different level of football” from his Laos side, after the world No 186 ranked team were thumped 4-0 in the Fifa Asean Cup on Sunday. Sun Ming-him and Everton Camargo, brilliantly, netted in the opening half, before Dudu’s 55th-minute header defeated the flimsy defences of Souksamone Vethita, and Matt Orr emphatically converted a stoppage-time penalty. Unsurprisingly, Laos did not prove a hot ticket, although the 18,873 fans inside Kai Tak... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368969/fifa-asean-cup-hong-kong-brink-final-midfielder-stars-return-exile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368969/fifa-asean-cup-hong-kong-brink-final-midfielder-stars-return-exile?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:27 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Vladica Grujic skirted the question over why he wanted to remain Laos head coach after the dismal fallout from their recent Asean Championship campaign, but the inquiry was valid. The opponents for Hong Kong’s opening Fifa Asean Cup match at Kai Tak Stadium on Sunday, Laos made wholesale changes for the tournament after the country’s football federation called for an investigation into alleged match-fixing, bribery and illegal gambling among its own squad following a series of heavy Asean... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368899/mired-match-fixing-scandal-hong-kongs-next-opponents-laos-hope-reinvention-holds-key?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368899/mired-match-fixing-scandal-hong-kongs-next-opponents-laos-hope-reinvention-holds-key?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Manchester City plan to fight the Premier League for months if found guilty of alleged financial breaches in potentially the biggest scandal in English football history. Reports on Friday said an independent panel had upheld nearly all of the 100-plus financial charges against the club in a case that was initiated more than three years ago. City did not confirm the decision, saying their case with the Premier League was “ongoing”. City, however, would appeal against a guilty decision and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368876/manchester-city-ready-fight-premier-league-after-reports-club-guilty-100-plus-charges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368876/manchester-city-ready-fight-premier-league-after-reports-club-guilty-100-plus-charges?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 01:28:18 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Scheduling the pre-tournament press conference less than five hours before the opening match did little to disabuse anyone of the impression that everybody involved in organising the inaugural Fifa Asean Cup is flying by the seat of their pants. It all got too much for Vladica Grujic, the fiery Laos head coach, as the clock ticked 15 minutes beyond the scheduled 12.15pm start time. “This is crazy, we’re playing this evening and my player [captain Bounphachan Bounkong] needs to have lunch,”... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368708/hong-kong-hero-back-town-fifa-asean-cup-current-coach-plays-down-key-man-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368708/hong-kong-hero-back-town-fifa-asean-cup-current-coach-plays-down-key-man-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:29:31 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Having long ago agreed to coaching duties with Hong Kong this week, the interim Eastern head coach Cristiano Cordeiro has landed himself with a calendar clash. “It’s chaos,” he said, a light-hearted comment that would aptly describe Eastern’s embryonic campaign. Beaten in their opening match by newly promoted Supreme Sha Tin, who have since lost four straight games, Eastern then received two red cards in a 4–1 defeat by Tai Po. One of them went to Leung Kwun-chung, who duly resigned as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368263/after-chaotic-start-are-five-time-hong-kong-champions-club-crisis-or-transition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368263/after-chaotic-start-are-five-time-hong-kong-champions-club-crisis-or-transition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The local football association has planted its flag in the camp of Gianni Infantino, the embattled Fifa president who is expected in Hong Kong for the final of the second-tier Asean Cup on October 3. At a media event to announce details for the coming competition on Friday, Eric Fok Kai-shan fudged the direct question over whether Infantino retained his organisation’s backing. But the chairman of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) said that “whoever supports Hong Kong football... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368027/fok-fudges-hong-kong-football-chiefs-appear-ready-make-gianni-infantino-their-man?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3368027/fok-fudges-hong-kong-football-chiefs-appear-ready-make-gianni-infantino-their-man?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:00:06 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Kitchee survived playing the final 25 minutes with 10 men, after a debatable red card for captain Ruslan Mingazov, to draw 0-0 with Gangwon FC on Thursday night in their opening AFC Champions League 2 match. Although a point against the strongest team in the group represented a sound return, it could have been even better for the Hong Kong club on their return to Asian competition after three years away. Mingazov and Victor Camarasa, the former Cardiff City midfielder, were both inches wide with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367910/afc-champions-league-2-hong-kong-champions-kitchee-survive-red-card-make-point?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367910/afc-champions-league-2-hong-kong-champions-kitchee-survive-red-card-make-point?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:36:50 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Although he cheesed off some of his England players when he accused them of being “sloppy” and committing “lots of technical mistakes” following their World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway this summer, Thomas Tuchel’s angst perhaps stemmed from the knowledge that a much tougher test was around the corner. So it would prove, the head coach’s team punch-drunk by the end of their semi-final capitulation against Argentina. For Tuchel two months ago, and indeed Alex Ferguson after the 1983... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367761/hong-kong-premier-league-kitchee-face-afc-champions-league-test-against-koreans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367761/hong-kong-premier-league-kitchee-face-afc-champions-league-test-against-koreans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:18 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Five days away from one of the biggest matches of his young life, it would have been understandable had Sohgo Ichikawa reined in his efforts when his club team, Lee Man, faced Eastern District. Instead, the 22-year-old buzzed about on Friday in the manner that has made him the outstanding young player of the early part of the Hong Kong Premier League season. He will step out for the under-23s’ opening Asian Games fixture against his birth country, Japan, next Wednesday cradling fresh memories of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367302/asian-games-meet-footballer-japanese-blood-ready-fight-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367302/asian-games-meet-footballer-japanese-blood-ready-fight-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:23 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang A “lone warrior” watched on as China’s football team started their 2026 U20 Women’s World Cup with an emphatic 5-0 victory over New Caledonia in Poland. Li Zijian was the sole Chinese fan in attendance at Sosnowiec Arena, his solitary cheers spurring on the team during the match. And his presence did not go unnoticed. At the end of the match, captain Liu Chen led her team hand in hand towards an almost empty stand, bowing deeply to the 23-year-old earlier in the week. Li was also in attendance... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367239/lone-warrior-travels-poland-fulfil-promise-watch-china-u20-womens-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367239/lone-warrior-travels-poland-fulfil-promise-watch-china-u20-womens-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:04:43 +0000 Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea should be stripped of their 2016-17 English Premier League title ⁠and it should be handed ⁠to his former Tottenham Hotspur side following ⁠the Blues’ record fine for rule breaches earlier this year. Chelsea were fined a record total of £10.75 million (US$14.56 million) in March for historical breaches of the Premier League’s regulations after voluntarily reporting in 2022 that they had evidence of a potential breach of the rules relating to third-party payments... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367092/tottenham-should-be-awarded-2017-premier-league-title-after-chelsea-broke-rules-pochettino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367092/tottenham-should-be-awarded-2017-premier-league-title-after-chelsea-broke-rules-pochettino?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:54:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press What could be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last chance to win a first AFC Champions League Elite title for his Saudi club will get under way next week. Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr are one of five Saudi Pro League teams in the tournament. Combined, they have spent more than US$2 billion on foreign players since 2023, with Al-Ahli lifting the continental trophy in each of the past two seasons. Al-Ahli captain and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is hoping to make it three in a row in the 32-team tournament. “This is the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367050/ronaldos-al-nassr-begin-afc-champions-league-bid-saudi-clubs-chase-3rd-straight-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3367050/ronaldos-al-nassr-begin-afc-champions-league-bid-saudi-clubs-chase-3rd-straight-title?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara He has a degree in accountancy but Tsang Chiu-tat can rarely have encountered a calculation as complex as the one of trying to help the Hong Kong under-23 team compete in this month’s Asian Games. Appointed in July after predecessor Darren Arnott quit to become Football Club head coach, Tsang will work with his full 23-man squad for the first time on the eve of next Wednesday’s opening fixture against hosts Japan in the 45,000-capacity Toyota Stadium. This week, those players in the city have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366816/asian-games-hong-kong-football-boss-left-little-time-prepare-japan-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366816/asian-games-hong-kong-football-boss-left-little-time-prepare-japan-test?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 04:00:17 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Chinese referee Ma Ning hopes to “pass the torch” to the next generation of football officials in the country, and encouraged them to show the world what they are capable of. Ma became only the second official from the mainland to take charge of a game at the Fifa World Cup when he oversaw Curacao’s goalless draw with Ecuador this summer – and the first to serve at two different tournaments. While he does not know if he would want to stand at a third, he said he would gladly do so if his country... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/china/article/3366677/ma-ning-will-go-third-world-cup-if-asked-hopes-see-new-chinese-referees-emerge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/china/article/3366677/ma-ning-will-go-third-world-cup-if-asked-hopes-see-new-chinese-referees-emerge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:24 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Fifa president Gianni Infantino has arrived at the opening of the Under-20 Women’s World Cup as he faces continuing pressure since abandoning his plan to sell off World Cup profits. Infantino was seen in the stands speaking with Polish football federation president Cezary Kulesza as host nation Poland faced Argentina on the opening day of the tournament on Saturday. Infantino had mostly kept out of the spotlight in the weeks since his World Cup sell-off plan fell apart amid opposition from many... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366496/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-makes-appearance-under-20-womens-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366496/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-makes-appearance-under-20-womens-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2026 14:05:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A woman referee in South Korea will face a disciplinary hearing over accusations she insulted former Chelsea midfielder Ji So-yun by saying she was menstruating, the football association said on Friday. The inquiry will focus on an incident that saw the international booked after confronting the official during a domestic women’s league game between Ji’s Suwon FC Women and Seoul City Hall. It was sparked when Ji, a midfielder who is the top scorer for the South Korea national side, demanded a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366366/south-korean-football-referee-faces-hearing-over-using-period-insult-player?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366366/south-korean-football-referee-faces-hearing-over-using-period-insult-player?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara While the famously taciturn Football Association of Hong Kong, China is refusing to pick a side, elsewhere in Asia battle lines are being drawn between those that support Fifa president Gianni Infantino and those who want him kicked out of the game. With little more than two months to go before the deadline to nominate a challenger in next year’s election, a look at who stands where shows a region deeply divided, with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) aligning with its counterparts in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366214/house-divided-asia-still-split-infantinos-future-hkfa-wont-say-where-loyalties-lie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366214/house-divided-asia-still-split-infantinos-future-hkfa-wont-say-where-loyalties-lie?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Singapore will host a series of blockbuster football fixtures during the Fifa international window in November, including a World Cup rematch between Brazil and Japan, organisers announced on Thursday. The Mizuho Blue Challenge will also involve the hosts and Paraguay, with four matches taking place in the space of five days at the city’s National Stadium at The Kallang. Singapore will take on Paraguay in the opening fixture on November 13, with Japan and Brazil facing off a day later in a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366171/singapore-host-brazil-japan-paraguay-star-studded-football-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366171/singapore-host-brazil-japan-paraguay-star-studded-football-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 02:43:57 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press English football flexed its unrivalled spending power by embarking on an unprecedented US$4.7 billion outlay on players in the summer transfer window — and Manchester City saved the biggest signing of the lot right to the very end. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez became one of the most expensive players in the game’s history by completing a marquee move to City from Premier League rivals Chelsea for £125 million (US$169 million) in the final hours of the window that closed across Europe on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366042/fernandez-move-caps-premier-league-spending-spree-clubs-spend-us47bn-players?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366042/fernandez-move-caps-premier-league-spending-spree-clubs-spend-us47bn-players?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 02:29:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters Investor Joshua Kushner has blamed power struggles within global football for the outrage over Fifa’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, admitting his firm “would not have gotten involved” if it had anticipated the backlash. The first comments by venture capitalist Kushner – the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump – since the plan collapsed came on Monday, as European governing body Uefa prepares a criminal case against Fifa president Gianni Infantino. “While we... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366014/key-investor-kushner-blames-football-power-struggle-world-cup-plan-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3366014/key-investor-kushner-blames-football-power-struggle-world-cup-plan-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:30:07 +0000