https://www.scmp.com/rss/322917/feed Serie A is the top professional football division in Italian football. It was founded in 1898, and is contested by 20 teams. Serie A has produced the highest number of European Cup finalists: Italian clubs have reached the final of the competition on a record 27 different occasions, winning the title 12 times. No fewer than 16 clubs have won Serie A, with Juventus its most successful team having won the title 33 times. They are the current champions of Serie A having secured a sixth straight... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Manchester City and Juventus are both expected to visit Hong Kong in August for the city’s second football festival, multiple sources have told the South China Morning Post. It is not yet clear whether the Premier League and Serie A giants will face each other, with several of their European and domestic rivals, including Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich also in the mix. Last year, Kai Tak Stadium had a record 49,704 attendance for Liverpool’s meeting with AC Milan, and then raised the mark... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3343569/chelsea-bayern-munich-inter-among-clubs-linked-hong-kong-football-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3343569/chelsea-bayern-munich-inter-among-clubs-linked-hong-kong-football-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 06:55:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Uefa said on Monday it had “reluctantly” approved the staging of a Spanish La Liga and an Italian Serie A match in the United States and Australia respectively, despite fan protests. “While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent,” Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement. European football’s governing body made its ruling after La Liga agreed to move a game scheduled for late December... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328087/uefa-reluctantly-approves-la-liga-serie-matches-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328087/uefa-reluctantly-approves-la-liga-serie-matches-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 04:36:11 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Italian giants Juventus have set out their stall to develop a Hong Kong footballer capable of playing in the major European leagues. The 36-time Serie A champions have launched Juventus Academy Hong Kong, which has formed a technical partnership with local Premier League team Kowloon City. Luca Monti, the academy’s technical director, said the Italian club viewed it as a “long-term project”, and not something to be run away from after a couple of years. “It’s in our interests to stay and,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3326719/how-juventus-aim-develop-elite-hong-kong-footballers-who-can-play-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3326719/how-juventus-aim-develop-elite-hong-kong-footballers-who-can-play-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga have hit back at a European Union commissioner who branded their plans to stage domestic matches outside as a “betrayal” of the fans. Serie A is planning to stage a match between AC Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, next February, while La Liga hopes to move Villarreal’s game against Barcelona to Miami in December. “I’m deeply disappointed by proposals to stage domestic league matches outside Europe,” Glenn Micallef, EU Sports Commissioner, wrote on social... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3323521/eu-official-says-playing-la-liga-serie-games-abroad-betrayal-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3323521/eu-official-says-playing-la-liga-serie-games-abroad-betrayal-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:00:17 +0000 Andrew Cesare Richardson Andrew Cesare Richardson China’s failure to impose itself on the football stage is an issue that continues to baffle many in the game. Despite its vast size and population, it has failed to qualify for a men’s World Cup since 2002 and will once again miss out on the 2026 edition after finishing behind Indonesia in qualifying. Andrea Galbiati is a coach at AC Milan’s academy in Hong Kong, having recently been transferred from his post in Beijing – and he highlighted some of the issues he felt have been holding the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319806/why-chinese-football-developing-so-slowly-ac-milan-academy-coach-gives-1-reason?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319806/why-chinese-football-developing-so-slowly-ac-milan-academy-coach-gives-1-reason?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:07:28 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport The president of ambitious Serie A side Como has said signing Lionel Messi would be a “dream”. The Argentina captain’s contract with Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season and is reportedly in negotiations. Como have the richest owners in Italy in billionaire Indonesian brothers Robert and Michael Hartono, who have ambitious plans. With Cesc Fabregas as manager, they shocked many by finishing 10th following their promotion to the top flight. And club president... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319735/could-lionel-messi-finish-career-italy-indonesian-billionaires-eye-dream-transfer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319735/could-lionel-messi-finish-career-italy-indonesian-billionaires-eye-dream-transfer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Andrew Cesare Richardson Andrew Cesare Richardson Former AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato has hailed the time he spent in China and said he remains a fan of football in the country. The former Brazil international spent two seasons with Tianjin Quanjian from 2017 to 2019 during the Chinese Super League boom. Pato is known mostly for his time with Milan, but he also played for Premier League giants Chelsea and Spanish side Villarreal, as well as having spells in Brazil and the United States. Yet he remembers his time in China with fondness. “I... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319710/ac-milan-idol-pato-says-time-china-one-most-important-experiences-my-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319710/ac-milan-idol-pato-says-time-china-one-most-important-experiences-my-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 00:00:26 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Four of the world’s biggest clubs are taking part in the Hong Kong Football Festival. After Liverpool and AC Milan on Saturday matched the six-goal tally of their epic 2005 Champions League final, eyes are turning to the first-ever North London derby outside the UK. On Thursday, it’s Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur in the city’s new Kai Tak Stadium. The action and atmosphere there during Milan’s 4-2 win over the Reds gave the Londoners plenty to live up to. But who is actually coming to Hong Kong?... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319468/liverpool-milan-arsenal-tottenham-hong-kong-meet-stars-football-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319468/liverpool-milan-arsenal-tottenham-hong-kong-meet-stars-football-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 23:00:14 +0000 Andrew Cesare Richardson Andrew Cesare Richardson Al-Hilal finally got the manager they wanted … or did they? The Saudi Arabian giants announced Simone Inzaghi as their new manager on Thursday in what was considered quite a coup, after the Italian led Inter Milan to two Champions League finals in three years. However, eagle-eyed viewers spotted something a little off in the club’s announcement video, which left them wondering if he really had been their target all along. At around 25 seconds into the short clip, commentary of “Inzaghi” scoring... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3313293/al-hilals-presentation-gaffer-gaffe-did-they-hire-wrong-inzaghi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3313293/al-hilals-presentation-gaffer-gaffe-did-they-hire-wrong-inzaghi?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2025 05:00:16 +0000 Andrew Cesare Richardson Andrew Cesare Richardson Hong Kong fans may get to see Real Madrid icon Luka Modric in action during July’s Football Festival, according to sources. The Post understands AC Milan, who face Liverpool at Kai Tak Stadium on July 26, are interested in signing the Croatia midfielder. Sky Italia, meanwhile, report a deal is close and that new Milan sporting director Igli Tare travelled to Croatia to speak to the player in a bid to reach a verbal agreement. Modric, 39, will end his trophy-laden, 13-year spell with Real Madrid... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3313048/real-madrid-icon-could-be-heading-hong-kong-football-festival-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3313048/real-madrid-icon-could-be-heading-hong-kong-football-festival-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters With betting on the next pope frowned upon in the home of the Vatican, thousands of Italians have instead taken to playing “Fantapapa” – an online game inspired by the fantasy leagues familiar to sports fans. International gambling companies, never shy of a marketing opportunity, are offering odds on various candidates to succeed Pope Francis when cardinals meet in a secret conclave from May 7. In Italy, however, no licensed gambling platform is taking bets on ‘papabili’, as the papal contenders... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3308572/fantasy-premier-league-style-game-allows-italian-guess-identity-new-pope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3308572/fantasy-premier-league-style-game-allows-italian-guess-identity-new-pope?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:04:31 +0000 AC Milan legend Franco Baresi said he was excited to see one of Europe’s most “historic rivalries” played out in Hong Kong when his old club visit the city this summer. Monday saw the announcement of the Hong Kong Football Festival 2025 at Kai Tak Stadium, in which Milan will take on Liverpool on July 26 before Arsenal face Tottenham five days later. The Rossoneri have been crowned European champions on seven occasions, while Liverpool have won the same trophy six times. The two sides met in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3304687/ac-milan-legend-franco-baresi-excited-historic-liverpool-rivalry-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3304687/ac-milan-legend-franco-baresi-excited-historic-liverpool-rivalry-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Apr 2025 04:56:06 +0000 AC Milan’s new academy in Hong Kong was officially opened on Sunday, with a ceremony held at Kai Tak Mall. Franco Baresi, a former captain and a three-time European Cup winner, was among the representatives from the Rossoneri present in the city. “We are very proud to announce the launch of our new academy in Hong Kong and to share our values with the local community,” Baresi said. “We firmly believe in football’s power as a tool for education, growth, and inclusion. “Through this academy, we... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3304463/ac-milan-legend-franco-baresi-officially-opens-clubs-new-academy-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3304463/ac-milan-legend-franco-baresi-officially-opens-clubs-new-academy-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 08:35:10 +0000 World Cup winner Franco Baresi has urged China to create a football “culture” if they want to improve their standing on the world stage. China are encountering a difficult period in the sport, with the men’s side bottom of their group in Asia’s third round of World Cup qualifying, while the women’s team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games. In the late 2010s, the Chinese Super League underwent a huge spending spree, as players such as Oscar, Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Alexandre... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3289612/italy-milan-icon-franco-baresi-urges-chinese-super-league-create-football-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3289612/italy-milan-icon-franco-baresi-urges-chinese-super-league-create-football-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Dec 2024 00:30:08 +0000 AC Milan and Italy legend Franco Baresi praised his “special relationship” with China, ahead of his trip to Shanghai to celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary. As part of the festivities, the Rossoneri organised the launch of a special jersey to mark the occasion, with the presentation taking place at the flagship Puma store in China’s most populated city. The new retro-style jersey features a sponsorless-front and will be worn with just numbers on the back – a nod to the club’s 1899... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3289415/italy-legend-baresi-hails-special-relationship-china-ac-milan-mark-125th-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3289415/italy-legend-baresi-hails-special-relationship-china-ac-milan-mark-125th-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2024 08:00:08 +0000 Former Serie A side Piacenza hired three managers and sacked two in a single day earlier this week. The now-fourth-tier side eventually settled on the man they had initially fired little more than a month ago. Piacenza, who in their Serie A days boasted the likes of current Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi in their ranks, announced on Tuesday morning that manager Carmine Parlato had been fired, and they had hired Simone Bentivoglio in his place. However, after just a single training session, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3287503/former-serie-side-sack-two-managers-one-day-firing-one-after-single-training-session?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3287503/former-serie-side-sack-two-managers-one-day-firing-one-after-single-training-session?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2024 05:47:01 +0000 Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense has signed on as the first official partner for next year’s Fifa Club World Cup, global soccer’s governing body said on Wednesday. Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed but Hisense will receive Video Assistant Referee (VAR) branding during the expanded 32-team competition set to take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13. Though no previous Fifa tournament has had a sponsor for video reviews since the technology was approved... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3284509/chinese-electronics-company-hisense-becomes-first-sponsor-fifas-club-world-cup-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3284509/chinese-electronics-company-hisense-becomes-first-sponsor-fifas-club-world-cup-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:00:11 +0000 Former Italy and Juventus striker Salvatore Schillaci, a star of the 1990 World Cup on his home soil, has died at the age of 59, his former club Inter Milan said on Wednesday. Schillaci had been hospitalised in Palermo following treatment for colon cancer. The Palermo Civico hospital said in a statement that Schillacci died on Wednesday morning after being admitted 11 days ago. “A football icon is leaving us, a man who has entered the hearts of Italians and sports fans around the world,” Italy’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3279010/salvatore-schillaci-italy-striker-who-was-top-scorer-1990-home-world-cup-dies-59?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3279010/salvatore-schillaci-italy-striker-who-was-top-scorer-1990-home-world-cup-dies-59?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2024 09:52:00 +0000 Venice tempts travellers from across the globe with its gondolas gliding along romantic canals; sumptuous Baroque and Gothic palaces; and museums filled with masterpieces by Canaletto, Titian and Tintoretto. But now there is an added, perhaps surprising, reason to plan a holiday to the Italian city: the chance to see the superstars of Serie A. More used to battling relegation or bankruptcy, Venezia Football Club managed to gain promotion to the top Italian league in April, and with the 2024/25... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3278186/what-venezia-fcs-promotion-serie-means-tourism-italys-sinking-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3278186/what-venezia-fcs-promotion-serie-means-tourism-italys-sinking-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Sep 2024 04:45:08 +0000 Hong Kong is home to football fans from all over the world, a market that elite clubs have targeted to grow their fan bases. But which team has the most supporters in the city? The Post has trawled through the internet, looked at various supporters clubs and analysed Facebook pages to determine the No 1. So here’s a look at the full top 10 … and No 3 in particular might surprise you. 10. Liverpool 4,400 followers The Reds have a supporters group that is officially recognised on the club’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3278069/manchester-united-liverpool-real-madrid-which-most-supported-club-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3278069/manchester-united-liverpool-real-madrid-which-most-supported-club-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Sep 2024 04:30:08 +0000 Tim Weah and other members of the US national team were targeted with racist abuse on social media after the Americans were beaten 2-1 by Panama in the Copa America. US Soccer Federation issued a statement that it was “deeply disturbed with the racist comments made online.” Weah, who is Black, was sent off with in the 18th minute after punching a Panama player. It was earliest red card for a US player since Jimmy Conrad was given his marching orders during a 2010 friendly against Honduras. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3268396/us-international-tim-weah-subjected-racist-abuse-after-red-card-copa-america-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3268396/us-international-tim-weah-subjected-racist-abuse-after-red-card-copa-america-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 05:00:13 +0000 Soon after buying Inter Milan in 2016, Chinese retail billionaire Zhang Jindong installed his 24-year-old son to help run one of the most famous football teams in Italy. Zhang Kangyang – who also goes by Steven – embraced his new role. A former mergers and acquisitions analyst at Morgan Stanley, he was soon to be seen driving a Pagani Huayra BC sports car, worth more than US$3 million, around the streets of Milan. On the spoiler were the words Nerazzurra – blue and black – referring to the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3264728/italian-series-club-inter-milan-was-plaything-billionaire-zhang-jindong-and-son-steven-then-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3264728/italian-series-club-inter-milan-was-plaything-billionaire-zhang-jindong-and-son-steven-then-money?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 May 2024 14:00:10 +0000 Despite their impressive 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, Manchester United’s new ownership ground are edging towards replacing Erik ten Hag as manager, a report before the Wembley showdown suggested. Should they make the change, the Red Devils would become the latest super team to divorce from their head coach this campaign. Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan and Napoli have either hired a new coach, are in the process of doing so or are in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3264233/who-could-take-over-barcelona-bayern-munich-chelsea-and-manchester-united-we-look-managerial-merry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3264233/who-could-take-over-barcelona-bayern-munich-chelsea-and-manchester-united-we-look-managerial-merry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 May 2024 06:31:10 +0000 Premier League winning manager Claudio Ranieri has called time on his career at club level after keeping Cagliari in Serie A, but has left the door open to working with an international side. Famous for leading Leicester City to a fairy-tale Premier League title in 2015-16, the Italian, 72, performed another “miracle” by avoiding relegation with the Sardinian side. Ranieri led Cagliari to promotion last season with a winner in the 94th minute of the Serie B play-offs and then unexpectedly kept... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3263978/premier-league-winner-claudio-ranieri-retires-club-management-while-olivier-giroud-gets-set-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3263978/premier-league-winner-claudio-ranieri-retires-club-management-while-olivier-giroud-gets-set-end?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 May 2024 10:30:10 +0000 Suning Holdings Group has relinquished control of Serie A champions Inter Milan to an investments firm after failing to repay a three-year loan worth €395 million (US$429 million), taken out in 2021. Oaktree Capital Management, an alternative investments firm, confirmed that the club had transferred under its control. The move, mooted for weeks, came after Steven Zhang, founder and chairman of Suning, missed a deadline for repayment. Zhang had been chairman of the club since 2018 and this season... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3263665/inters-chinese-owners-cede-control-club-hedge-fund-oaktree-after-failure-repay-eu395-million-loan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3263665/inters-chinese-owners-cede-control-club-hedge-fund-oaktree-after-failure-repay-eu395-million-loan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 10:18:35 +0000 Inter Milan president Steven Zhang said the Serie A champions’ financial stability was being threatened by investment fund Oaktree as owners Suning scrambled to repay a debt of almost 400 million euros on Tuesday. Simone Inzaghi’s Inter team were officially crowned kings of Italy on Sunday following a 1-1 draw with Lazio after securing the league title with five matches to spare last month. But what was supposed to be a weekend of celebration has been overshadowed by the deadline for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3263372/us429-million-debt-deadline-threatens-stability-serie-champion-inter-milan-says-club-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3263372/us429-million-debt-deadline-threatens-stability-serie-champion-inter-milan-says-club-president?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 May 2024 10:31:31 +0000 Tottenham Hotspur and their supporters were in the unenviable position of knowing victory over Manchester City would almost certainly hand arch-rivals Arsenal a first Premier League title in 20 years. It prompted fans to call on their side to lose, despite needing to win to keep alive their own hopes of qualifying for the Uefa Champions League. They promptly lost 2-0, a result that ensured the destiny of the Premier League title was out of Arsenal’s hands as the race headed for the final... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3262774/spurs-supporters-hoping-lose-man-city-deny-arsenal-fans-liverpool-man-united-others-have-had?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3262774/spurs-supporters-hoping-lose-man-city-deny-arsenal-fans-liverpool-man-united-others-have-had?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 May 2024 08:26:21 +0000 Inter are planning a pre-season tour in China, sources at the club have told the South China Morning Post. The Nerazzurri were officially crowned the 2023-24 Serie A champions with an historic victory in the derby over Milan earlier this week and are now planning for their title defence. A source at Inter confirmed to the Post that they are close to finalising the tour but it is not yet official, and the plan is to visit Chengdu in the last week of July. It is unclear at this stage how many of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3260629/italian-champions-inter-milan-set-pre-season-visit-china-they-prepare-defend-serie-crown-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3260629/italian-champions-inter-milan-set-pre-season-visit-china-they-prepare-defend-serie-crown-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Apr 2024 14:00:13 +0000 Former China manager Fabio Cannavaro was named Udinese boss earlier this week and his debut in the dugout will be the final 18 minutes of a previously abandoned match against Roma. On April 14 the two sides met for their scheduled Serie A encounter and, with the score locked at 1-1, Roma’s Evan Ndicka was hospitalised after suffering a medical emergency on the pitch and the match was stopped with 72 minutes on the clock. The final 18 minutes of the match was rescheduled for Friday at 2am (HKT)... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3260302/ex-china-boss-cannavaro-takes-charge-serie-side-udinese-first-game-final-18-minutes-match-v-roma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3260302/ex-china-boss-cannavaro-takes-charge-serie-side-udinese-first-game-final-18-minutes-match-v-roma?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2024 05:04:21 +0000 Inter’s Chinese owner Steven Zhang has overseen the historic achievement of winning a 20th Serie A title with a 2-1 victory against arch-rivals Milan. The Nerazzurri had been runaway leaders for much of the campaign and clinched the Scudetto in dominant fashion. It is a title of notable significance. Not just because it was sealed with victory in a derby but, for every 10 league titles won, teams in Italy are awarded a star above their crest, and this means Inter become only the second side... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3259985/inters-chinese-owner-oversees-historic-20th-title-milan-derby-win-cementing-place-italys-dominant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3259985/inters-chinese-owner-oversees-historic-20th-title-milan-derby-win-cementing-place-italys-dominant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2024 03:37:24 +0000 Former footballer Kevin Lidin used to play in front of thousands of fans in Italy, but he left it all behind to experience life as a Buddhist monk in Thailand. In 2019, the Swede won promotion from Italy’s third tier with Pisa, whose Arena Garibaldi stadium holds up to 25,000 fans. However, despite the adulation and semi-celebrity lifestyle, injuries forced him to retire two years later and he set out in search of a more tranquil life, a journey he has shared on social media. Lidin’s Instagram... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3259457/footballer-buddhist-monk-swedish-ex-players-incredible-transformation-detailed-his-instagram-page?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3259457/footballer-buddhist-monk-swedish-ex-players-incredible-transformation-detailed-his-instagram-page?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:30:14 +0000 Italian Serie A champions Inter Milan posted a record loss last season the Chinese-owned club announced on Thursday, Inter, owned by struggling retail giants Suning, posted a €€245.6 million (US$284.6 million) loss for the 2020-21 season, which they finished as champions of Italy for the first time since 2010. The loss is a record for an Italian club, beating those posted by Juventus earlier this month. The Turin side lost US$246.3 million last season. “The entire 2020-2021 financial year was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3150983/suning-owned-inter-milan-post-record-us285m-loss-2020-21-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3150983/suning-owned-inter-milan-post-record-us285m-loss-2020-21-season?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Oct 2021 07:04:51 +0000 Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United has also seen him return to the No 1 spot on the Forbes list of football’s highest earners ahead of long-time rival Lionel Messi, with wages increasing for top players despite the financial impact of Covid-19. The Portuguese forward, who has recently become the top scorer in men’s international football, will earn a reported US$125 million this year – US$70 million from the Old Trafford side and US$50 million from his commercial... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3149651/cristiano-ronaldo-beats-lionel-messi-footballs-rich-list-andres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3149651/cristiano-ronaldo-beats-lionel-messi-footballs-rich-list-andres?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Sep 2021 05:37:14 +0000 Italian football club Juventus issued a second apology over a controversial tweet featuring their women’s team captain Cecilia Salvai that they said “read as racially discriminatory”. “We would like to express our deepest apologies for the social post that read as racially discriminatory content on the Juventus Women’s Football Twitter account yesterday,” the club said in a statement posted to their official website on Friday. Thursday’s tweet showed Italy international Salvai wearing a training... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3144204/juventus-make-second-apology-racially-discriminatory-photograph?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3144204/juventus-make-second-apology-racially-discriminatory-photograph?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Aug 2021 03:12:09 +0000 The Juventus women’s football team have apologised for a tweet showing one of their players making a discriminatory gesture often aimed at East Asians. A photograph of sometime club captain Cecilia Salvai making a “slant-eyed gesture” while wearing a training cone on her head was tweeted by the club. It was deleted some 25 minutes later after social media outrage. “We sincerely apologise that our tweet, which was not meant to cause controversy or have any racial undertones, may have offended... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3144026/juventus-apologise-over-slant-eyed-social-media-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3144026/juventus-apologise-over-slant-eyed-social-media-post?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Aug 2021 01:24:08 +0000 ‘Dreams do come true,’ Inter Milan president Steven Zhang wrote on social media after the Chinese-owned Italian giants celebrated being handed the Serie A trophy on Sunday, calling the title reward for five years of hard work since Suning took over the club in 2016. Zhang’s Instagram post came after the season ending 5-1 win over Udinese at San Siro on Sunday, a day after former Inter striker Eder warned of the nightmare at Suning’s other club, Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC. “I hope... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3134592/inter-milans-steven-zhang-says-dream-serie-title-reward-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3134592/inter-milans-steven-zhang-says-dream-serie-title-reward-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 May 2021 04:01:27 +0000 While Inter Milan supporters have been celebrating the team’s Italian Serie A title, football fans in China have expressed their anger at the club’s owners and telling them to get out of China. Suning, which took a majority stake in the Italian giants in 2016, was also the owner of Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning, who won the CSL title last November. However, the retail giant decided to pull investment from the Chinese champions in the close season and with the club failing to find new... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3132301/jiangsu-suning-fans-tell-inter-milan-president-steven-zhang-get-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3132301/jiangsu-suning-fans-tell-inter-milan-president-steven-zhang-get-out?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 May 2021 05:03:20 +0000 Chinese-owned Inter Milan have made history by winning Serie A, becoming the first Chinese-owned side to win one of Europe’s big five leagues and the first foreign-owned side to win the Italian title. The scudetto was confirmed on Sunday when Atalanta failed to beat Sassuolo, ensuring that Antonio Conte’s team were champions for the first time since 2010. Suning-owned Inter had beaten Crotone 2-0 on Saturday thanks to goals from Christian Eriksen and Achraf Hakimi, ending reigning champions... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3132040/inter-milan-become-first-chinese-owned-club-win-big-five-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3132040/inter-milan-become-first-chinese-owned-club-win-big-five-league?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 May 2021 06:11:09 +0000 Anger swept across English football after yesterday’s revelation that the “big six” Premier League teams have signed up to the European Super League (ESL). Supporter groups expressed their outrage as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur admitted that they were among the 12 clubs aiming to establish a midweek competition outside the jurisdiction of Uefa. The proposals represent a huge threat to the integrity of the European game. Barcelona, Real... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3130106/european-super-league-epl-big-six-supporters-clubs-promise-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3130106/european-super-league-epl-big-six-supporters-clubs-promise-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Apr 2021 07:18:30 +0000 Inter Milan have been given a new lease of life for next season with a rebranded visual identity though questions remain over the ownership of the Serie A giants. The Suning-owned Serie A leaders announced earlier this year that they would undergo a rebrand, including a newly designed club crest and it was revealed on Tuesday to mark the Nerazzuri’s 113th birthday. “Inter has moved to revamp its visual identity to open up to an audience that is increasingly digital and sensitive to aesthetics,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3127665/chinese-owned-inter-milan-unveil-controversial-rebrand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3127665/chinese-owned-inter-milan-unveil-controversial-rebrand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Mar 2021 12:50:50 +0000 Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return to the AC Milan starting line-up with a goal in a thrilling 3-2 win at Fiorentina on Sunday, narrowing the gap to Serie A leaders Inter to six points. The strike made him the oldest player to score 15 goals in a Serie A season, at 39 years and 169 days, and sounded the starting gun to a frantic encounter in Florence. The Swede needed only nine minutes to fire home the opener after springing the offside trap in his first league appearance since picking up a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3126380/serie-zlatan-ibrahimovic-makes-history-ac-milan-edge-fiorentina?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3126380/serie-zlatan-ibrahimovic-makes-history-ac-milan-edge-fiorentina?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Mar 2021 02:07:48 +0000 Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo said his project in Turin is still in its early days and will continue despite his side crashing out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage on away goals against 10-man Porto on Tuesday. Juventus won 3-2 after extra time on the night, but were knocked out of the Champions League at the same stage as last season after a 4-4 aggregate draw. That was despite playing against 10 men for much of the game after Porto’s Mehdi Taremi was sent off in the 54th... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3124779/champions-league-andrea-pirlo-insists-his-juventus-project-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3124779/champions-league-andrea-pirlo-insists-his-juventus-project-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Mar 2021 02:43:15 +0000 Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC have ceased operations, owners Suning announced on Sunday, with the news sure to be a source of great embarrassment to China’s football authorities. The club, which the retail giant bought in 2015, will also cease operation of its women’s team who won the 2019 Chinese Women’s Super League, and youth teams. Reports from China had suggested that the club’s demise was imminent. The news comes after Suning announced that they would be moving away from their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3123472/inter-milan-doubt-suning-call-time-chinese-champions-jiangsu-fc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3123472/inter-milan-doubt-suning-call-time-chinese-champions-jiangsu-fc?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Feb 2021 06:59:43 +0000 Chinese giant Suning Group’s decision to concentrate on its retail business has raised questions over its widespread involvement in football. The company owns Inter Milan and Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC, while they have been China broadcast rights holders for the English Premier League, Italian Serie A and the CSL. Owner Zhang Jindong told Suning staff of the decision to shift their focus, as reported by China’s Titan Sports online on Friday. “We should focus our main battlefield,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3122473/concerns-inter-milan-suning-focus-retail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3122473/concerns-inter-milan-suning-focus-retail?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Feb 2021 04:41:57 +0000 The Lunar New Year is upon us and nowhere is it more keenly marked than by the biggest clubs in European football. Despite disputes as diverse as Chinese broadcast rights – first with the English Premier League and now Italy’s Serie A – and former Arsenal player Mesut Ozil’s social media support for the Muslim Uygurs in China’s Xinjiang region, the Lunar New Year will be rung in once more. These annual celebrations have become a key part on the calendar for those clubs with an eye on China and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3121427/lunar-new-year-inter-milan-spurs-and-man-united-ring-year-ox?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3121427/lunar-new-year-inter-milan-spurs-and-man-united-ring-year-ox?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Feb 2021 08:00:16 +0000 Chinese-owned Inter Milan returned to the top of the Serie A table on Friday night with a 2-0 win over Fiorentina but fans in China missed out as the game was not broadcast. PP Sports which had the broadcast rights for China reportedly lost them after failing to make a payment to IMG, Italian football website Calciomercato.com reported. IMG paid €340 million per season for the global media rights for the 2018-19 to 2020-21 seasons in a deal agreed in 2017. The reports follow on from PP Sports... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3120835/inter-milan-owners-suning-lose-china-serie-broadcast-rights-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3120835/inter-milan-owners-suning-lose-china-serie-broadcast-rights-report?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Feb 2021 08:41:26 +0000 Chinese-owned Inter Milan are set to rebrand in March with a new name and club crest, according to reports in Italy, plus a new sponsor to replace Pirelli. The Suning-owned club will change its name from Football Club Internazionale Milano – as they are officially known – to Inter Milano, as the San Siro side are more commonly referred to internationally, Italian newspapers La Gazzetta dello Sport and Il Corriere della Sera reported on Monday. The rebrand is intended to make the club more... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3118290/chinese-owned-inter-milan-rebrand-appeal-foreign-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3118290/chinese-owned-inter-milan-rebrand-appeal-foreign-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jan 2021 05:31:32 +0000 The football empire of Suning Group, owners of Italian Serie A giants Inter Milan and Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu Suning, is struggling financially with reports of unpaid wages and a possible sale. Players at both clubs have gone unpaid, with the CSL champions not paid for three months and no bonuses for winning the club’s first league title according to the Oriental Sports Daily. Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that Inter players have not been paid for November and December... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3118004/suning-sell-inter-milan-chinese-super-league-side-unpaid-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3118004/suning-sell-inter-milan-chinese-super-league-side-unpaid-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jan 2021 05:26:16 +0000 Most of us will put 2020 down as a year to forget, with the sporting world ravaged by Covid-19 just like everything else. Tokyo 2020 was the biggest casualty. The distraction of sport turned to concern for the teams and leagues that we love being able to survive the pandemic’s financial impact. Those that did go ahead did so in bizarre circumstances and sometimes in the face of widespread criticism, while many athletes chose to sit it out, reasonably citing Covid-19 concerns. As with any year,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114999/best-2020-naomi-osaka-son-heung-min-lewis-hamilton-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114999/best-2020-naomi-osaka-son-heung-min-lewis-hamilton-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Dec 2020 01:00:06 +0000 The sports agency who took Italian giants Juventus to Seoul will have to pay South Korean fans after a court ruled in favour of the supporters following Cristiano Ronaldo’s no-show at a preseason friendly last summer. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that the Seoul Central District Court found in favour of the group of 162 fans who had sued event organisers, The Fasta, for the game in July, 2019. Ronaldo spent the entirety of the match between Juventus and a K-League All-Star team... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3110872/cristiano-ronaldos-seoul-no-show-sees-juventus-match-organiser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3110872/cristiano-ronaldos-seoul-no-show-sees-juventus-match-organiser?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Nov 2020 05:19:02 +0000