Related News
Zheng secures AFC player award
Print Edition
China’s Zheng Zhi was named AFC Player of the Year yesterday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The midfielder is captain of China’s national team and plays for Guangzhou Evergrande, which won the Asian Champions League on November 9, the first Chinese team to win it in 23 years. Zheng’s teammate, Brazilian striker Muriqui, who scored a record 13 goals in the Asian Champions League, was named the AFC Foreign Player of the Year.
Muriqui, 27, had already collected the Asian Champions League most valuable player and top scorer awards. He also helped Evergrande win three consecutive Chinese Super League titles.
Meanwhile, FIFA President Sepp Blatter yesterday condemned European media for “attacking” 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar, days after slamming European countries and companies over the controversial tournament.
The veteran Swiss said media had been unfair to Qatar as he made an impassioned defense of the event to delegates at the Asian Football Confederation awards.
“It is not fair when the international media and especially European media are taking up the focus of an Arab country here in Asia, and attacking, criticizing this country,” Blatter said.
“We are defending it. We have taken the decision to play a World Cup in the Arab world and we have taken the decision to play in Qatar and we will go and play this... in 2022 in Qatar,” he added, to loud applause at the gala dinner.
It came just a few days after Blatter accused France and Germany of pushing Qatar’s bid to host the World Cup to suit their “economic interests.”
He also blamed European construction companies after Amnesty International said migrant workers at World Cup venues were being treated like “animals”.
Tiny, resource-rich Qatar has proved a contentious choice since being awarded World Cup hosting rights in 2010 following a bidding process tainted with corruption allegations.
Following strong protests, Blatter has agreed to move the World Cup to the end of 2022 to avoid Qatar’s hot summer.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
