https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3297813/liverpool-play-pre-season-game-hong-kong-sources-say-epl-trio-linked-event
Exclusive | Liverpool to play pre-season game in Hong Kong, sources say, EPL trio linked to event
Multiple sources say Premier League leaders have committed to playing a game in the city this summer, with all-British tie also in works
Liverpool and two other English Premier League clubs will come to Hong Kong in the summer as part of their pre-season tour of Asia, multiple sources told the Post on Friday.
It is not yet known if all three Premier League sides would be in the city at the same time,
but the expectation is at least one game would be an all-British affair, sources said.
The sources, who have ties to the event but asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorised to discuss the plans publicly, said the date and a venue for the fixtures were still being decided.
However, rival parties appear on a collision course in their bids to lure big-name European clubs to Hong Kong, after it emerged that Tatler Asia and local promoters were plotting matches at Kai Tak Sports Park in July.
Leading promoter Paul Kam said last week he would have news about summer fixtures “very soon”, and arrangements to stage major marquee games at Kai Tak’s 50,000-seat stadium were “90 per cent done”.
Kam had also confirmed that a local club would be involved in either a one-off game or a four-team tournament.
Premier League leaders Liverpool were previously strongly rumoured to be closing in on an arrangement to play at Kai Tak, an assertion that was not denied by the club’s Greater China Public Relations Arm.
Now, the Post sources have confirmed that the six-time European champions will be in Hong Kong this year.
Hong Kong’s biggest club, Kitchee, played games against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in 2019 and 2024, respectively. Ken Ng Kin, the Kitchee president, told the Post he had applied to the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) and Kai Tak Sports Park for a match in July.
“As part of this application, we have signed a NDA [non-disclosure agreement],” Ng said. “Consequently, we cannot disclose information about our application, or speculate on any … matches by other promoters.”
Kai Tak Stadium, which staged its first football match for a test event on Tuesday, will give Hong Kong its strongest hand for many years in the global battle to host major clubs.
A spokeswoman for the HKFA confirmed the organisation had been in talks “with different clubs and organisers for the upcoming opportunities and will have an official statement once all processes are complete”.
She said the governing body was “working closely with all parties involved, including Kai Tak, to make sure whatever match is hosted … is a successful one”.
Kam, who has previously brought Chelsea, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Spurs, Bayern Munich, and the Argentina and Brazil national teams to the city, said the proposed Tatler games “could stop us from planning matches in Hong Kong”.
“We cannot monopolise the market, anyone can host and organise matches here in Hong Kong,” Kam added. “If [Tatler] get approval from HKFA, who can stop them.”
Kam said he would not comment on Tatler’s suitability to stage matches following the Messi shambles on February 4 last year. “I was also involved in that mess, which was caused by a player,” added Kam, who aided the promotion of that match.
Kam, who is also planning a high-profile Hong Kong fixture, involving a “big European team”, in May, said talks with HKFA were continuing and more would be revealed soon.