MANCHESTER, England: Erling Haaland knew the impact his words could have . . . and said them anyway.
The striker faced questions on Tuesday about his Manchester City future, and speculation about a move to Real Madrid.
“If I say this now,” Haaland said, “it’s probably gonna be a massive headline tomorrow. You never know what the future brings, but I’m happy. You can write this, but you also have to write everything I said before.”
For full disclosure, Haaland spoke in glowing terms about life at City, about winning a historic treble of trophies in his first season, and being in contention to repeat the feat this year.
“I’m really happy. Especially with the people I’m surrounded with — the manager, directors, the board — they are a group of amazing people and I’m really happy,” he said.
That proclaimed unhappiness is unlikely to stop rumors linking him to Madrid, even though the Spanish club seem set to sign Kylian Mbappe when the France forward leaves Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.
Madrid were considered City’s biggest rival when Haaland left Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022, and reports of a move have circulated ever since.
City would like to help quell such talk by tying him to an even longer contract than his current deal, which runs until 2027.
“My focus mainly now is on the pitch,” he said. “There’s a lot of games. Two days ago was the Manchester derby, now Champions League, Sunday is Liverpool, I think I should focus on that. I don’t think I should focus on anything else at the moment.”
Haaland scored 52 goals in his first season at City to help capture the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup trophies. Yet, despite his outstanding statistics he still missed out to Lionel Messi when it came to soccer’s biggest individual prizes, the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Best award.
Will it take Messi to retire before Haaland is recognized as the best player in the world?
“I don’t know, good question,” the Norwegian said. “It’s true he won it and he won the World Cup, so I don’t know what to say. He’s the best that’s ever played I think, so yeah, I don’t know.”
For now, Haaland’s focus is on more team prizes with City.
First up on Wednesday is Copenhagen at home, with City leading 3-1 after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
On Sunday, City go to Anfield for a top-of-the-table clash with Liverpool in the race for the English title. Then City play Newcastle in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
“You can think about it in two ways. One thing (is) I came here and won it all, and the other thing (is) I’m 23 years old and I won everything and I got the taste of it. How I work is that when I feel this, I want to win it again.”
That attitude has impressed City manager Pep Guardiola in his short time with Haaland.
Guardiola coached Messi to two Champions League titles at Barcelona, and has worked with many of the best players in the world.
“He has impressed the most off the pitch with his lovely character,” Guardiola said. “The bigger stars are more humble normally, they understand better. Maybe that is why they are the biggest stars.”
Haaland suffered a foot injury that ruled him out for more than a month over December-January but is still the leading scorer in the Premier League with 18. He has 28 in all competitions and last week scored five in a 6-2 win against Luton in the FA Cup.
Yet, his astonishing miss from point-blank range on Sunday in the 3-1 win against Manchester United was as noteworthy as any of his goal-scoring feats this season.
Haaland said when he was younger he would cry if he lost games or missed chances. Times have changed.
“I missed a lot of chances. I will still keep on missing chances, I will still keep on scoring goals,” he said. “I’ll probably miss a big chance in the future as well, and people are going to criticize me, but what can I do? Should I think of that? No, just focus on scoring more goals and to help the team.”
Haaland discusses his Man City future and toppling Messi
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Haaland discusses his Man City future and toppling Messi
- Haaland spoke in glowing terms about life at City, about winning a historic treble of trophies in his first season, and being in contention to repeat the feat this year
- Will it take Messi to retire before Haaland is recognized as the best player in the world? “I don’t know, good question,” the Norwegian said
Bayer Leverkusen sign teenage striker Alejo Sarco from Velez Sarsfield in Argentina
- Sarco: Transferring to a top club in Europe is something I have always dreamed of
- Sarco, an Argentina youth international who turns 19 next week, signed a contract through the 2028-29 season
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Bayer Leverkusen signed 18-year-old Argentinian striker Alejo Sarco from Velez Sarsfield on Thursday with the defending Bundesliga champions describing the teenager as “a promise for the future.”
Sarco, an Argentina youth international who turns 19 next week, signed a contract through the 2028-29 season.
“Transferring to a top club in Europe is something I have always dreamed of,” Sarco said in Leverkusen’s announcement. “It’s exciting to be a part of the team from now on, and it will be a great challenge for me to support it with my abilities.”
Financial terms of the transfer and contract were not disclosed.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said Sarco “is a promise for the future of Bayer Leverkusen. He is a technically skilled player, fast, agile, and assertive in one-on-one situations. With his strong finishing ability, he completes the profile of a modern center-forward.”
Leverkusen, who won the Bundesliga title and German Cup last season, currently trail league leader Bayern Munich by four points.
Inter extend dominance over Atalanta with 2-0 win in Italian Super Cup semi-finals in Saudi Arabia
- Juventus will face AC Milan on Friday in the other semi-final match
RIYADH: Defending Serie A champions Inter Milan extended its recent dominance over current leaders Atalanta with a 2-0 victory in the Italian Super Cup semi-finals on Thursday.
Denzel Dumfries scored two second-half goals for the Nerazzurri, which have now won seven straight against Atalanta.
Juventus will face AC Milan on Friday in the other semi-final match, with Sergio Conceicao making his debut as Milan coach after Paulo Fonseca was fired.
The final of the four-team tournament in Saudi Arabia is scheduled for Monday.
Inter are aiming to win the Super Cup for the fourth straight year.
Dumfries scored first with an acrobatic overhead kick from close range then finished off a counterattack with a long-range strike.
Inter also threatened several times in the first half but was consistently denied by difficult saves from Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.
Atalanta surprisingly kept Ademola Lookman, Charles De Ketelaere and Ederson on the bench at the start. The three players came on near the hour mark and Ederson had a potential goal waved off for offside after a VAR check.
Inter beat Atalanta 4-0 twice in Serie A last year, in February and August.
This season, Atalanta and Napoli currently hold a one-point lead over Inter, who have a game in hand.
The only negative note for Inter was that Marcus Thuram exited with an apparent left thigh issue at halftime.
Milan boss says injuries will be ‘no excuse’ for not performing in Italian Super Cup
- The Italian Super Cup is taking place in Saudi Arabia for a fifth time
RIYADH: AC Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao said on Thursday that injuries and a short training window will not be “an excuse” for his side ahead of their Italian Super Cup semi-final against Juventus on Friday.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Riyadh, the Portuguese underlined the importance of delivering a top-level performance and taking full advantage of opportunities to secure a spot in the final.
“I would have liked more days to work and more players available, but when I arrived I already knew about this situation,” he said.
“So there are no excuses, heads up. There are still two training sessions to go, we are preparing the match to be incisive, without having too much information in our heads, to try to win.
“Milan is a great club, and its rightful place is at the top. Everyone must work hard to bring joy to our fans in Italy and worldwide. We need to play with offensive aggression against Juventus, aiming to break their defense with teamwork rather than relying on individual players,” he added.
The Italian Super Cup is taking place in Saudi Arabia for a fifth time, and all three matches will be played at the King Saud University Stadium in the capital.
Conceicao said that he was confident in his team’s defensive strength, and dismissed any emotional distraction from the fact that his son, Francisco, will be playing for the opposing team.
“We have a huge responsibility which is defending the colours of one of the most historical clubs in football. We have a strong fan base, not only here but also elsewhere globally and we will do our best to make our supporters happy and proud,” he said.
“We have to play aggressively against Juventus. Our goal is to penetrate Juventus’ defence as a complete team, not by relying on individual players.
“Having my son on the opposing team won’t affect me. My goal is clear: to win like I do in any other match. There is no place for feelings on the field,” he added.
He also said that he and his team had received “a warm welcome in Saudi Arabia,” and thanked organizers for that.
The growth of football in Saudi Arabia – where some 80 percent of the population either play, attend, or follow the game – has been noticed across the globe, and Conceicao praised the passion for football in the Kingdom.
“There are many Portuguese players and coaches here in Saudi. It’s a league that is growing a lot and quickly. We can literally feel the passion for football and the will to grow. Many important players are contributing to this evolution,” he said.
French goalkeeper Mike Maignan echoed his coach’s determination and stressed the importance of following tactical instructions and giving their best to meet the expectations of the fans.
Juventus head coach Thiago Motta, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of small details in determining the outcome of the match. He acknowledged the challenges of the knockout format, calling on his team to demonstrate their style and character.
“Our players are eager to compete at the highest level,” Motta said. “The support of our fans will provide a crucial boost in achieving our goals.”
Al-Ittihad back on top as club mark 97 years of glory
- Saudi Arabia’s oldest club head the Saudi Pro League table as they celebrate 97th birthday
DUBAI/LONDON: It is fitting that as Al-Ittihad celebrate their 97th anniversary this month, the Jeddah giants are sitting on top of the Saudi Pro League.
The past is impressive. The club was founded on Jan. 4, 1927, and is one of the oldest in Asia. Not only that, but Al-Ittihad are set to join the Club of Pioneers, a global network of historic teams headed by Sheffield FC, the oldest football club in the world that was set up in 1857.
“We are very proud to be the first Arabic country to join the Club of Pioneers on our 97th year anniversary and celebrating our great achievements as the first Saudi Football club. And we look forward to our 100 years and beyond,” Dania Al-Maeena, CEO of Al-Ittihad’s nonprofit organization, told Arab News.
Now they join the likes of Wrexham of Wales, Genoa of Italy and Royal Antwerp of Belgium to become the 32nd member.
The first silverware came all the way back in 1958 with the King’s Cup and Crown Prince’s Cup, starting to fill a trophy cabinet that has become much more packed over the decades.
Fans had to wait until 1982 to celebrate a league championship. Eight more have followed. The most recent came in 2023 when Al-Ittihad were very impressive on their way to lift the title once more and for the first time since 2009.
Any club with such domestic success want to challenge internationally, and the team in yellow and black have done just that. In 1999, fans celebrated the Asian Cup Winners Cup. The big prize, however, was always the AFC Champions League and in that competition, Ittihad have made history.
In 2004, the Red Sea club lost the first leg of the final at home, 3-1 to South Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. Heading into the return game, nobody gave the Saudi Arabians a chance. Yet, in perhaps the most stunning result in the history of Asian club football, Al-Ittihad shocked an expectant home crowd and the continent, by winning 5-0 to take the trophy.
If that was impressive, then so was the following year, as the club were head and shoulders above the rest. In those days, the defending champions joined the competition at the quarterfinal stage.
There was an 8-3 aggregate win over China’s Shandong Luneng and then a 7-0 thrashing of South Korea’s Busan I’Park in the semifinal. The final against 2003 champions Al-Ain of the UAE was a tougher task, but it ended in a 5-3 win over two legs. No team had previously successfully defended the Asian Champions League title.
At the time, the rest of the continent feared a dynasty being established. That did not happen but Al-Ittihad are one of Asia’s biggest and most popular clubs. Joining 50,000 fans at the King Abdullah Sports City is an unforgettable football experience.
None of this is to say that the best days are in the past. As the club enter their 97th year in existence, they are in a very healthy state indeed.
In 2023, the club ended a 14-year wait for a Saudi Pro League title, and though last season did not see a repeat performance, French coach Laurent Blanc has settled extremely well since joining in July.
He has stars including Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Fabinho and Moussa Diaby at his disposal. There is also impressive domestic talent in the form of Saleh Al-Shehri, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Hassan Kadesh and many others.
The future is looking bright. After ending 2024 with nine successive league wins, they are two points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League. There is still a long way to go but Al-Ittihad are fit for the journey.
37th Italian Super Cup kicks off in Riyadh
- Serie A champions Inter Milan take on Atalanta and AC Milan tackle Juventus in bid to make Sunday’s final
RIYADH: The 37th edition of the Italian Super Cup kicks off here today with Serie A champions Inter Milan taking on Atalanta, the Coppa Italia runner-up.
Hosted by Saudi Arabia for the fifth time, the tournament takes place at Al-Awwal Park Stadium until Jan. 6. The Ministry of Sports is the organizer of the event.
AC Milan, second in the Serie A last year, take on Juventus, the Coppa Italia champions on Friday, with the final on Sunday.
The event aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Quality of Life program and the country’s plan to continue hosting major global sporting events.
It reflects the Ministry of Sports’ commitment to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
