Day one of Paul Gorst’s daily diary from Hong Kong as Premier League champions Liverpool gear up for a friendly with AC Milan
It wasn’t immediately obvious that Liverpool were in town as the ECHO made its way from Hong Kong airport while the rain battered the ground late on Tuesday evening. But by the time the mid-summer sun was beating down on China’s southern coast on Wednesday afternoon, signs – some subtle, others less so – that the Premier League champions were in place had started to show.
The decorative ‘Champions’ activation, in conjunction with long-time partners Carlsberg, was placed neatly along the promenade walk known as ‘Avenue of the Stars’ and it proved to be a popular photo opportunity with passers-by keen to get their snaps for social media content.
A more conspicuous boat, carrying both the club emblem and the logo of the Scandinavian brewers on its sails, could also be seen making its way around the river to further hammer home the point about Liverpool’s arrival.
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Naturally, given the groundswell of support the Reds enjoy in this region of the world, there were masses of fans who gathered outside the team’s hotel from Wednesday morning through to the late afternoon.
And that huge backing is only going to increase the closer it gets to game day in Hong Kong, which comes when Arne Slot and his players meet AC Milan at the Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday.
Of course, for Slot, the main thrust of these international jaunts is to get the players up to speed for the forthcoming Premier League campaign and the Liverpool head coach is boosted by the fact that virtually all of his squad are with him in the Far East.
This time last year, the then new boss was having to navigate a tour of the United States without the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister, while an injury to Andy Robertson ruled him out and Curtis Jones picked up an early knock in Pittsburgh.
Fast-forward 12 months and Slot has virtually a full complement at his disposal, which, in the long run, could prove to be hugely important.
Van Dijk, Alisson and Robertson are all with the squad alongside players like Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, while new signings Giorgi Mamardashvili, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz are present.
This next week or so will be vital for all of them to acclimatise as they get used to working with their new colleagues. Hugo Ekitike is expected to join them once his £79m move from Eintracht Frankfurt has been formally completed and the France Under-21 international striker will add a new and exciting dynamic to Liverpool’s frontline.
One player who has missed out, however, is Federico Chiesa, who was left out of the squad with what has been described as a minor injury, fresh from scoring in a 5-0 rout of Stoke City in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Sunday at the AXA Training Centre.
The minor fitness concern has explained the omission but it will be no surprise if Chiesa is now the subject of increased interest from Italy, with Atalanta and Napoli both named in connection with the former Juventus man. Chiesa barely featured in the Premier League last season and could be offloaded if the right offer arrives.
Of course, this trip comes just weeks after Diogo Jota’s tragic death in northern Spain, where he was involved in a car crash with his brother, Andre Silva, and sensitivities understandably remain high.
Plans to undergo something akin to a Hong Kong trophy parade were scaled back and a number of other scheduled events were called off after the unimaginably sad news of earlier this month. Players are also being treated delicately over their workload when it comes to media commitments in the Far East.
As has become commonplace, a slew of club legends have been recruited for the trip to handle the bulk of interviews and after Sir Kenny Dalglish sat down with local media on Tuesday morning, Lucas Leiva held court on Wednesday at the club’s plush hotel.
One event that will still go ahead is open training, which is slated for Thursday. Around 25,000 are expected to be present to watch the Reds being put through their paces and while such sessions are often usually performative for the onlooking crowd, Slot famously wasted no time whipping his players into shape during a gruelling workout at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field this time last year.
It will be interesting to see if a similar approach is taken this time around as Slot looks to get his players fine tuned for the big kick-off, which comes when LIverpool begin the defence of their title at home to Bournemouth on Friday, August 15.
These trips are not solely about the football itself, though, and pre-season is an equally important period for the business side of the operation. This tour was held as part of the club’s partnership with Japan Airlines and the club announced on Tuesday a multi-year global partnership with EC Markets, who are described as “the leading forex, indices, equities and commodities broker”.
Ben Latty, chief commercial officer at Liverpool FC, said: “We want partners who share our passion, ambition, and commitment to innovation, and are proud to welcome EC Markets to the LFC family.
“With hundreds of millions of fans worldwide, this partnership will generate global exposure for EC Markets, and we look forward to working together.”
Matthew Smith, CEO and chairman of EC Markets, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Liverpool FC, a club with a rich history and truly global reach. As we partner with the number one football club in the most prestigious league in the world, we see a reflection of our own ambitions at EC Markets.
“Just as Liverpool FC has earned its place at the top through relentless dedication and success, we too are committed to position EC Markets as a number one leader in the financial markets, known for our innovation, trust, and dedication to empowering our clients. We look forward to a successful and mutually beneficial relationship.”
