RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal has demanded an investigation into the controversial AFC Champions League final, calling it a “black spot” on Asian football and raising suspicions about possible match-fixing.
The Saudi giants took aim at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after going down 1-0 on aggregate to Western Sydney Wanderers in a two-legged final.
Al Hilal had several penalty appeals waved away over the course of the two legs and Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura, known for a spot-fix blunder at this year’s World Cup, took charge of the second fixture.
“What happened in the second leg of the AFC Champions League final is a black spot in the history of Asian football and looting of the right of an entire people who has been waiting for happiness and enjoyment of fair competition,” a statement said.
It added that “blunders” in the final “appeared suspiciously and tarnished the reputation of the AFC, which raised many questions about the AFC championships and the integrity and fairness of its competitions, and the need to ensure the absence of any effect of betting offices scattered among football.”
Al Hilal urged the AFC to investigate who was responsible for selecting the match referees, claiming they waved away two “explicit penalties” in the first leg and four in the second.
The club took particular issue with the appointment of Nishimura, who was de-selected from World Cup duty after giving hosts Brazil a highly debatable penalty in their tournament opener against Croatia.
“Appointing him as a referee for the match is a big mistake that requires investigation and causes punishment,” the statement said.
There was no immediate response from the AFC. The Wanderers became the first Australian team to win the Asian title and they were mobbed by fans on their return to Sydney.
Al Hilal demands probe into ‘black spot’ AFC final
Al Hilal demands probe into ‘black spot’ AFC final
Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship
Norway’s Magnus Carlsen added another crown to his collection on Sunday by becoming the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess world champion after a comeback win over Fabiano Caruana in Germany.
The chess master secured the title with a cautious draw in the fourth and final game, clinching a 2.5–1.5 match victory against his 33-year-old American opponent in Weissenhaus.
Sunday’s turning point came in the thrilling third game, in which Carlsen, 35, pulled off a stunning win from a seemingly lost position, swinging the entire contest in his favor.
The world number one only needed a draw in the decisive fourth game, and that’s exactly what he got in an equal endgame, with Caruana missing late opportunities to mount a comeback.
Carlsen has now won 21 world titles in various formats.
The World Championship marked a breakthrough collaboration between FIDE and private organizer Freestyle Chess, staging the first officially recognized title in this format.
Carlsen had previously failed to capture the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship, making this victory particularly sweet for the chess great.
In the bronze medal match, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Germany’s Vincent Keymer, securing his spot by drawing from a winning position in the final game.
Both finalists and Abdusattorov have qualified for next year’s championship.
The tournament’s lower placings saw Hans Niemann of the United States take fifth with a 2-0 victory over India’s Arjun Erigaisi, while Armenia’s Levon Aronian won his Armageddon game against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov for seventh place.
In the women’s exhibition match, Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva prevailed over Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk after their final encounter ended in a draw.
