LaLiga, together with The Medical Licentiate Society of Hong Kong (LMCHK), has held an event in Causeway Bay together with 50 members of the island's health staff to thank them for their work in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the meeting, which was held at LaLiga's representative office in Hong Kong and attended by the maximum number of attendees permitted by current health restrictions, LaLiga thanked the work and effort of the region’s health personnel on behalf of all Spanish football.
"Without the work of health workers in Hong Kong and others around the world, we would have been unable to witness not only the return of football but also of a more or less normal life. The work is not finished yet but we are on the right track because of the efforts of doctors, nurses, and other health personnel, and from LaLiga and its clubs, we thank them,” said Eduard Castell, LaLiga delegate in Hong Kong.
LaLiga presented the various campaigns to support the fight against the pandemic that it has carried out in countries around the world at the event and emphasized its commitment to helping to restore normality across all sectors of society as soon as possible.
During the event, Fernando Sanz, director of international institutional relations and director of the LaLiga ambassadors and legends project, delivered a video message expressing his heartfelt appreciation for the work done. "Whether leaving it all on the field or giving it all you have for your patients, LaLiga and our doctors have a shared sense of spirit and professionalism."
"On behalf of the Licentiate Society, we're honored for this Covid-19 tribute from LaLiga", Marcus Marcet, president of the Medical Licentiate Society of Hong Kong, stated.
LaLiga's partners PUMA and Budweiser, as well as Now TV, supported this event, which also included the participation of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
Liverpool's long wait is over. 30 years of hurt are no more. The Reds are kings of England again.
For those of us who remember their previous reign, three empty domestic decades are all the more astonishing.
Liverpool felt almost unbeatable when I was young. It was a given they would win the title and demolish all European challengers too, although for some reason they usually stumbled in the F.A. Cup.
Whenever my team Nottingham Forest played them I prayed for a miracle but it almost never came. Liverpool just seemed impossible to beat. Their mesmeric passing, whether short or long, bewitched other sides but it was their intensity which set them apart.
Even if other sides took the lead, Liverpool seemed to draw on high-octane reserves to blitz the opposition, an extra gear no other side possessed.
Roared on by Anfield, a near-perfect stadium for atmosphere, the Reds kept marching on. The passion of the players was matched by the stirring regional identity of the Scousers. It was no wonder they wore red - the tint of passion, blood, and fervour. Bill Shankly was the prophet who found the magic formula his successors imbibed.
In an era when Liverpool the city was gripped by industrial decline and social breakdown the shining success and endless victories of the football club proved a tonic and a head-scratching flip side.
No one could live with them home or abroad. From 1977 to 1985 the Reds reached five European Cup finals, winning four of them.
Heysel then kept them out of Europe for five years and it was a pity for European football their 1988 championship-winning side never got the chance to take on the continent's best.
When they came back under Graeme Souness, they were not the force they had been before.
The unbroken spell kindled by Shanks and Bob Paisley had dried up and the spell was only found again in 2019.
Liverpool's magic flared up again with a UEFA Cup win in 2001 under Gerard Houllier before Rafael Benitez recaptured their Champions Cup crown in 2005, a feat repeated by Jurgen Klopp last year.
Inevitably those with memories of great sides will try to compare Klopp's 2020 vintage to those of the '70s and '80s but this is a bit of a fool's errand. Football gets better every year so Klopp's current crop would defeat all previous Liverpool teams.
Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah have become as feared an attacking trident as any and buccaneering Scottish left-back Andrew Robertson has been outstanding too. Klopp's backroom staff are top class and his love of intensity, the gegenpressing we first saw at Borussia Dortmund, has translated seamlessly into Liverpool's attacking front-foot tradition.
They are the most worthy winners. English and European Champions and World Club Cup holders to boot. It does not get much better than that. As with Pep Guardiola's grand slam of trophies at Barcelona, the challenge now for Klopp is to sustain the success and not rest on his laurels.
Benitez's miracle of Istanbul was supposed to have ended the hoodoo and ushered in a new age, but it kept stalling. Klopp has a stronger winning formula this time around.
He is a victor, blessed with charisma, intelligence, and an ability to get others to follow him. He also comes across as a fair man, not a mad genius.
As with Gareth Southgate's statesmanlike performance during the 2018 World Cup, Klopp's unifying spirit and strong leadership skills stand in stark contrast to the nation's flailing politicians, and many wish he was in charge of Britain as well as Liverpool F.C.
When asked in March about the Covid-19 lockdown, however, he was fast to distance himself from politics. Render unto Caesar...
Klopp works wonders but is still only human. He will nevertheless go down in history as the man who ended Liverpool's long wait for the title and that is enough for now.
HONG KONG CELEBRATES LA LIGA'S RETURN WITH AN URBAN ART PROJECT IN CENTRAL
To champion the return of top-flight Spanish football, LaLiga has launched 'United Streets of LaLiga', a worldwide urban artwork campaign to commission unique football-inspired murals in cities across the globe.
Urban artists from five continents and 12 separate locations were given license to bring to life the passion and excitement of LaLiga fans across the world and create unique pieces of urban artwork for fans to experience in person and share online.
The end result is a colourful array of bespoke artworks that blend colloquial characteristics and iconic LaLiga symbolism while bringing to life the raw emotions embodied by the campaign #BacktoWin (in Spanish, #VolverEsGanar). The #BackToWin campaign has been launched by LaLiga and its Spanish broadcast partner Movistar to celebrate the importance of bringing back professional football for a series of stakeholders across society: including clubs, fans, and the wider sports industry.
The locations for the ‘United Streets of LaLiga’ artwork include 12 cities across five continents: Mexico City (Mexico), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Bogotá (Colombia), Hong Kong SAR, Bali (Indonesia), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), London (UK), Paris (France), Copenhagen (Denmark), Lagos (Nigeria), Dar Es Salam (Tanzania) and Kabul (Afghanistan).
In Hong Kong, its citizens will be able to see this new piece of artwork on the 26 Cochrane street, in Central District, and discover an interpretation of two Spanish players, Joaquin Sanchez (Real Betis) and Santi Cazorla (Villarreal CF), and the Japanese star Takefusa Kubo, currently part of RCD Mallorca squad.
Speaking about the campaign, Eduard Castell, LaLiga’s delegate in Hong Kong: “After 92 days without official matches we are delighted that football is returning. The fact that LaLiga is back means so much to everyone who loves football, and to celebrate we wanted to capture that raw emotion with our ‘United Streets of LaLiga’ campaign.
Hong Kong is an important place for us and we want to share part of our joy and invite them to join us in this return of the competition .”
“Is always nice to express your ideas, emotions and aspirations through the art and this piece wants to show the excitement of LaLiga fans here in Hong Kong and around the world for the return of the competition as a sign of the whole world coming, little by little, back to normal”, Axe Colours HK, the artist behind the piece of artwork in Cochrane Street, said.
LaLiga Communications Department prensa@laliga.es
@LaLiga on Twitter / LaLiga on Facebook / LaLiga on Instagram

All the pieces of artwork can be viewed on LaLiga social channels here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LaLiga
Facebook: facebook.com/laliga
Twitter: Twitter.com/laliga
This initiative is part of more than 100 global activations that the league has organised to mark the return of LaLiga. Among them, exhibitions of LaLiga club shirts are on display above the streets of Madrid, Seville and Bilbao, while an emotive video along with fan images is being projected onto some of Spain’s most famous attractions, including Madrid's Puerta del Sol and the City of Arts and Sciences complex in Valencia.
The enduring legend of England's 1966 World Cup win
Lockdown soccer watching has taken many forms.
With no live football at home, more people than usual have been taking an interest in the Bundesliga and its empty arenas. For the once and only time in its history the Belarus Premier League has even been on some English lips.
England's 1966 World Cup win
Terrestrial football coverage has concentrated on Euro '96 with both BBC and ITV replaying what was in all truth a mediocre competition, while today Channel 4 revived the old chestnut of the 1966 World Cup Final.
Knowing this national anthem by heart, I would have preferred to have seen England's other World Cup campaigns, especially ones less remembered today such as Chile 1962 or France 1998.
The issue must be the cost of TV rights to show them again, given FIFA owns all the World Cup footage and charges a bomb for any reproduction.
1966 is still England's only glory which means it cannot be forgotten, although for years I felt there has been an excessive veneration of a day which grows ever more distant.
We will always have '66. But we do not want it forever as our only idol.
Yet, as the years pass and the Three Lions continue to stumble what else can we commemorate and what else can we aim to emulate?
Hungary were the best team in the world in the early 1950s but lost the '54 World Cup final to West Germany, leaving them to honour their 1953 conquest of Wembley - the Mighty Magyars' 6-3 win over England, as their golden day ever since.
So we are stuck with '66 in England.
I was not even born then but can name the starting eleven like a litany of saints better than I can recall the 2018 semi-finalists.
I cleave more to the Italia '90 boys because I was an avid teenager then but through osmosis I have learnt to venerate England's one and only triumph.
I am intimate with that day's minutiae; the Hurst crossbar goal and the 'Russian' linesman, Bobby Moore wiping his hands when he spies the Queen's white gloves, the jackets and ties of the pitch invaders and Jimmy Greaves' sullen face on the bench etc.
Within seconds of watching the 1966 final the most obvious difference you note now is the old leather ball.
The orange Slazenger Challenge made the game slower than it is today as it was harder to control and there was no room for the trickery of subsequent stars like Jay-Jay Okocha or Ronaldinho.
There were always skilful players so it is tantalising to wonder what the ball wizards of then - Eusebio, Garrincha and Pele, would have done with today's lighter footballs such as 2010's notorious Jabulani and its unpredictable aerodynamics?
By 1974 the leather Telstar Durlast had a polyurethane coating and by 1986 the Adidas Azteca had completed the evolution to fully artificial materials.
The leather sphere meant free kicks could not be curled or dipped so set pieces were more aerial serves onto attackers' heads. Pressing in '66 was nothing like it is today and defences were more porous. The way Geoff Hurst sailed wholly unmarked into the German box to nod the equaliser was jaw-dropping.
Goalkeepers were similar; Gordon Banks' abilities have not dated, although the sweeper-keeper had not arrived yet. That was popularised by the Netherlands' Jan Jongbloed in 1974.
All goals can be attributed to defensive errors as much as attacking class but in the '66 final the errors glare more. Half the six strikes in the final were down to right clangers.
The technique of some defenders on both sides was notably wobbly which cannot just be attributed to the leather ball. Defenders rarely overlapped so were more practised in clearing than passing.
Whatever the ball-skills of 54 years ago compared to today, the quality players of then still stood out. Bobby Moore was imperious, Bobby Charlton dangerous and Franz Beckenbauer precocious.
There seem to have been far more turnovers of possession than there are today and more optimistic snapshots and efforts from outside the box, which is interesting given the heavier ball. It was an open final, if rather nervous and ragged by today's standards.
Passing back to the goalkeeper in the '66 final catches your eye; it was allowed until 1992. Simulation and time-wasting seemed absent. Strikingly and ludicrously, there were no substitutes allowed.
Statistics on distances run would be interesting because of the advances in modern player fitness - there are no cups of tea at half time or steak and chips as a pre-match meal anymore.
But the athleticism and physical commitment 54 years ago are still impressive. The players were clearly exhausted at the end of 120 minutes.
Regarding the third England goal the less said the better as it did not cross the line, whatever the Azerbaijani linesman said to the Swiss referee. What is remarkable in the light of today's VAR obsession is how lightning quick the pair were to reach the decision, barely a couple of seconds.
The fourth goal, as some fans invaded the pitch and appeared to distract the German goalkeeper Hans Tilkowski, was a surreal cherry on the cake.
Times change rapidly. When I see clips of English football in the 1970s I am aware of the growing menace on the terraces, but watching the '66 final you hear nothing more sinister than 'Rule Britannia', 'We Want Goals' and 'Ee Aye Addio We Won the Cup'. Did it all go sour after the 1970 loss?
There is something of the Beatles & Shea Stadium about the '66 final, a pinnacle never to be reached again.
Channel 4 interspersed their coverage with in-picture interviews with England players old and young, including some of the '66 men, as well as Jurgen Klinsmann, who provided some welcome context.
Klinsi helped a united Germany win in 1990 months after the Berlin Wall became rubble, noting the cultural significance of World Cups.
In that sense '66 was a chapter of an English golden age of Swinging London, the Beatles, the sexual revolution, a healthy economy and a charismatic leader in Harold Wilson. If you were young at the time it must have been a hell of party that summer night in the Trafalgar Square fountains.
The golden-haired gentleman captain Bobby Moore, sporting a sweaty blood red shirt, lifting the shining cup with a lush green background on an English summer's day has easily become a sacred event. The symbolism of defeating the Germans again on a field of conflict was perfect.
Yet unlike England, Germany has moved on. It has won three World Cups since '66 and still honours the '54 Miracle of Bern as their exit from the dark years of the Nazis and recovering from WWII.
England by contrast still cleaves to '66 through necessity, inevitably over-eulogising it and rose-tinting it in the process. Given the explosion of world soccer since 1966, matching that win has only got harder.
My father was at the game, one of 100,000 lucky souls to have been there in person for the Three Lions's finest hour. How I wish I could say the same. A Euro '96 semi-final loss to Germany will have to do for me.
England's glory aside, 1966 is notable as the last World Cup before commercialism took hold.
There was no advertising inside the stadium or visible sponsor names.
The official programme carried adverts for provincial English brands like Charrington beer and Embassy cigarettes, not multinationals like Coca-Cola and VISA. Sir Stanley Rous, for all his faults, was in charge of FIFA until 1974 when the corrupt Joao Havelange stole the reins of world football.
England's World Cup also heralded the rise of African football via Mozambique-born Eusebio, the star of the tournament, as well as Asian soccer in the form of the astonishing North Korea.
LaLiga sets official matchday schedule for the return of football in Spain
The return of LaLiga is imminent. Javier Tebas confirmed as much in an interview with the El Partidazo #VolverEsGanar show on Movistar, LaLiga’s broadcaster in Spain. The LaLiga President announced that there will be games on every day of the week, and also confirmed the kick- off times for the first and second matchday back.
No end of excitement awaits us in the coming days, with clashes such as Athletic Club vs Atletico de Madrid and the Valencia derby, pitting Valencia CF against Levante UD, set to be played on the first matchday back following the competition’s restart.
The LaLiga president also revealed a project to involve LaLiga fans in matches, which will be played behind closed doors for the time being.
The Applause to Infinity initiative will see applause from fans from across the world played out in stadiums in the 20th minute of matches.
Kick-offs in three time slots, with flexibility
Among the news revealed by Javier Tebas was the announcement of official kick-off times for the first and second matchdays, and also confirmation that there will be three time slots for matches which can be adjusted based on weather conditions, in particular high temperatures.
From now until the end of the season, weekdays will feature regular match slots at 19:30 and 22:00 CET, while regular match times for weekend fixtures will be 17:00, 19:30 and 22:00 CET. The first of these slots will be reserved for games played in the north of Spain, where June and July temperatures are milder than the rest of the country. In addition, if the weather conditions are favourable, one more weekend match slot will be included at 13:00 CET.
Over 40 LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank games are planned to be played each week.
Sevilla FC vs Real Betis will be played on Thursday 11th June at 22:00 CET to kick off Matchday 28 of
LaLiga Santander, Elche C.F vs Extremadura UD, CF Fuenlabrada vs CD Tenerife and Málaga CF vs SD Huesca will kick off Matchday 32 in LaLiga SmartBank on Friday 12th June at 19:30 CET.
The best players and match-ups in the world are back, with LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank set to take to the field once again.
Starting June 11th, LaLiga will be back on Now Sports - BeIN Sports in Hong Kong.
LaLiga Communications Department prensa@laliga.es / TEL +34 912 055 000 / TEL +34 616 035 335 LaLiga.es / @LaLiga on Twitter / LaLiga on Facebook / LaLiga on Instagram Applause to Infinity:
A tribute by LaLiga, the clubs and fans to the heroes of COVID-19
In addition to kick-off times, the LaLiga president also unveiled the Applause to Infinity project, an initiative which will involve LaLiga fans from all over the world and pay tribute to the heroes who are fighting to overcome the current global health pandemic.
The restart of the league season will see all LaLiga teams forced to play behind closed doors due to the exceptional measures taken to deal with the pandemic. Applause to Infinity will, however, ensure that fans' presence is felt during every LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank match, with their applause ringing out in stadiums in the 20th minute.
To this end, LaLiga has created www.applausetoinfinity.com where fans from all over the world can upload applause in support of their club as well as the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. A single track will then be created using sounds from across the globe and played in stadiums in the 20th minute of matches.
The applause will help build a wall of sound in commemoration of the heroic efforts that have been made to overcome the crisis.
"Supporters in the stands make football complete but now, due to reasons beyond their control, they won’t be able to be there. We have created this initiative to help fans be a part of LaLiga’s return and also as an opportunity for them to show their support for the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. We want them to feel close to their team, even if they cannot be in the stadiums cheering them on, and for players to feel the support of their fans," said Javier Tebas.
Liverpool FC will be offering their support to Tranmere Rovers Football Club's ongoing community response initiatives by assisting residents in Wirral during the pandemic.
Part of the Reds' Unity is Strength community response to the crisis, a team of Liverpool FC staff volunteers is providing support to TRFC’s own community response initiatives - two Liverpool city region clubs working together to help those in need.
LFC staff volunteers will join TRFC volunteers distributing leaflets to thousands of residents outlining what support is in place for those in need. These will help to raise awareness of their support initiatives amongst people who perhaps do not have access to the internet or social media.
Alongside this, LFC staff volunteers will be playing a helping hand in preparing and delivering meals and food parcels to residents in the area. LFC has seconded one of its professional chefs usually based at Anfield to Tranmere Rovers for one day a week to help their team to produce meals for the most vulnerable people in the local community.
TRFC (along with their partner charity, HelpLink) is also running a befriending service, which will also be supplemented by LFC staff volunteers, to make befriending phone calls to older and vulnerable people who may be isolated, worried and lonely during this challenging time.
Nicola Palios, Tranmere’s Vice Chairman, said "At a time of crisis it is great to see any football rivalries being put aside, and two Merseyside clubs working together to help our communities. When the Covid lock-down was announced, Tranmere and HelpLink quickly established a scheme to support the elderly and vulnerable in Wirral, and we are delighted that Liverpool FC are able to offer us some additional resource for that initiative, as demand for our support is increasing daily."
Matt Parish, director of LFC Foundation, said: "We are proud to be working alongside Tranmere Rovers FC to support their local community response work. It’s so important that we unite during these difficult times to help each other and support as many people as we can in our local communities."
LFC’s professional chefs have upscaled their operation and are now producing 1,000 fresh meals every week to support the club's local communities in Anfield and Kirkby and key workers across Merseyside.
The meals, which form part of the Club’s ‘Unity is Strength’ COVID-19 community response work, provide essential fuel to those who need it most, including Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service firefighters and fire control officers and North West Ambulance Service staff.
Local school hubs and community groups who are currently supporting some of the most vulnerable children and families in the Club’s local communities in Anfield and Kirkby are also receiving hundreds of fresh meals every week.
Freshly prepared in the kitchens at Anfield, the meals offer a range of vegetarian and gluten free options, including, leek and potato soup, katsu chicken curry and braised rice, vegetable Cornish pasty, pasta bolognese and a trio of cakes.
Gary Oakford, area manager, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, said: “As a long-standing partner of the LFC Foundation we were delighted to be considered to be part of this initiative along with our NWAS colleagues.
The donation of prepared meals for our key workers is most generous and has been welcomed by all of the staff who are working in support of the broader response to COVID-19.”
Forbes Duff, senior manager, Red Neighbours, added: “Since we started producing the meals, we have seen a big uptake and therefore we have been working hard to increase our volumes to support the growing demand.
Helping more local families, vulnerable people and key workers who are sacrificing so much to help people is really important to us - we want to help our local communities as much as we can.
“If we can take the pressure off key workers by providing them with a fresh meal so they don’t have to cook after an exhaustingly long shift or to school hubs who are doing a fantastic job looking after vulnerable children and key workers’ children - that’s really the least we can do to say thank you.”
North West Ambulance Service, deputy chief executive, Michael Forrest commented: “This is a fabulous gesture by Liverpool Football Club and I’m sure I speak for all the staff in Merseyside when I say how grateful we are.
“Our staff are working incredibly hard at the moment. Knowing there is a hot, nutritious meal waiting for them will go a long way in letting them know how well thought of they are by the communities they serve. I’m sure the staff will love them!”
Several key figures in Spanish football, from players and coaches to directors, have spoken out about why the time is right for LaLiga to restart.
Clubs from LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, the top two divisions in Spanish football, are returning to training this week following approval from the Spanish Ministry of Health and medical tests carried out by club staff. The return of competitive football is a step closer, and many figures from around the game are excited at the prospect of the ball starting to roll again and have spoken out in support.
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitić and Real Madrid duo Sergio Ramos and Lucas Vázquez are just a few of the several high-profile players to have voiced their support for the return.
“I think it is time for those of us who are involved in football to take a step forward,” Rakitić explained in an interview with Spanish newspaper MARCA. “Socially, we must take a step, to be able to entertain people with what they like and help people stop thinking all about viruses and disease.”
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos this week made clear his desire to return to playing speaking with Real Madrid TV: “We must listen to the instructions from the Spanish Ministry of Health. I can’t wait to get back playing and competing. To play in LaLiga, the Champions League, and for the competitions to be finished… as long as there is no risk of contagion.”
Teammate Lucas Vázquez echoed that point about football being able to take people’s minds off the tragedy associated with the coronavirus. As he told The Guardian: “If we can play, with the right safety measures, we’d all love to complete the season. It would be good for people, for society. For two hours you’re not just thinking only about this. Football brings happiness.”
This opinion is also held in the coaching community.
As Villarreal head coach Javi Calleja told El Periódico Mediterráneo: “Football can give people hope that this will finish soon, and it means people will be able to have some happiness and entertainment in their homes.”
Those at more modest clubs are also keen for football to make a comeback, in many cases because of the same pressing financial realities that are also facing workers in other industries that have been affected across Spain and the rest of the world. “We don’t all earn millions,” said Dani Barrio of LaLiga SmartBank side Real Zaragoza, during a discussion on social media. “I come from playing in the third tier and am playing to put bread on the table for the next five to six years.”
Cádiz CF defender Juan Cala made a similar point during an appearance on COPE radio. “I’m in favour of returning because it’s the most logical thing,” he said. “We may come from a better or worse family, but we all need to work to put bread on the table and for the economy to make a comeback. Football isn’t just about the professional players, as there are lots of others who live from it.”
Professional football in Spain has been shown to account for 1.37% of the country’s entire GDP, according to an independent study carried out by PwC.
This point was raised by Elche CF CEO Patricia RodrÃguez Barrios as she tackled the issue in a social media post. “The football industry is often put down by other industries and workers, who think that we’re all privileged millionaires who only work on the day of a match,” she said. “No special treatment has been asked for. We’re only asking to be treated the same as other industries and to be allowed to work.”
Other club directors have also called for football to be allowed to return. “My first concern is health, which is the most important, but I’m also concerned about the economic stability of the clubs,” Sevilla FC sporting director Monchi told national TV broadcaster TVE. “I think we need to finish the league season and I don’t think there is any club not wanting it played,” added Villarreal CF president Fernando Roig on COPE.
LaLiga is overseeing a carefully calculated protocol to ensure that football can return and that the 2019/20 season can be completed.
As LaLiga president Javier Tebas has explained: “People’s health is paramount, so we have a comprehensive protocol to safeguard the health of everyone involved as we work to restart LaLiga. Circumstances are unprecedented, but we hope to start playing again in June and finish our 2019/20 season this summer. The return of football is a sign that society is progressing towards the new normal. It will also bring back an element of life that people in Spain and around the world know and love.”
LEGENDARY FUTSAL COACH AND PLAYER - VICTOR HERMANS
Victor Hermans is a football legend and one of the most respected coaches in the world as he
continues to spread his love of futsal to all those who are willing to learn. Victor is a true Futsal legend and has made a global impact with his high-level coaching, mentoring, and passion at both the international and the grassroots level.
Victor was a legendary Futsal player and was named player of the tournament in the 1989 Most Valuable Player of the first FIFA World Futsal Championship which was held in the Netherlands. Victor has since gone on to be a world-renowned coach with teams from all around the world and is often sought as an expert to give FIFA and UEFA Futsal coaching sessions.
Frank Soo was the first non-white player to have ever played for the England national football team and still is the only player of Asian descent to reach that level in England. However, his matches were during WWII so were not recognised as official caps.
Frank played mainly at Stoke City, where he captained the late
“Wizard of the Dribble”, Sir Stanley Matthews but also spent time at Leicester City and Luton Town.
He also guested for clubs such as Chelsea, Newcastle, and
Everton to name but a few.
He played 9 times for England and today, 9th May, marks the first time he played for England in 1942 against Wales.
In honour of that momentous occasion, The Frank Soo Foundation has partnered up with Google to create a Google Doodle.
You can see the Doodle below but to see the moving Doodle in action, please visit the Google home page/search page throughout 9th May.
Designed by a Doodler at Google, the Doodle features old school boots, where the laces tie around the boots, and an iconic brown leather ball.
In the football card, where the second "O" is in Google, you can see Frank smiling. Frank's nickname was "The Smiler", and if you look at some of his photos you can see why that is the case!
It is difficult to determine what number Frank played with as it was largely dependent on what team he was with at the time as well as what position he played in. However, his most common number was 6 and there is footage of him playing in an England kit with that number. This is the number that was selected for the rotating "g"/"6".
The Frank Soo Foundation hopes to promote Frank’s story and support those who want to follow in this footsteps.
