Robbie Fowler (front, left) and Sami Hyypia (front, right) led the coaching sessions
Legendary players and coaches from Liverpool Football Club (LFC) were in Macau on Saturday to host the first ever ‘LFC Soccer Clinic’.
More than 60 young football enthusiasts met the LFC players and coaches at the Taipa Olympic Sports Centre Stadium.
LFC Academy coaches led two hands-on sessions for 64 local football players aged between six and 14 years old, according to a press release issued by MGM.
The participants included members of The Football Youth Academy, youth recruited by the Young Men’s Christian Association of Macau (YMCA) and children of MGM’s staff.
The group was also greeted by former LFC players Robbie Fowler and Sami Hyypia, who shared inspirational stories and tips with the young footballers.
Sou Nin Hang, a student from The Football Youth, expressed in the statement that he is a ‘die-hard fan’ of LFC.
“It is a dream come true [for] me and if you want to be the best, you must learn from the best. Even though it is a short encounter today, I have learned a lot from the coaches and the Legends which makes me want to keep practicing my soccer skills until I succeed.”
Sarah Rogers, MGM’s senior vice president of Strategy & Corporate Responsibility, said MGM expressed hopes that the LFC sportsmen would inspire young sports fans in the region.
“One of MGM’s major areas of focus within the community is to support Macau’s youth and today’s event is a great way for them to pursue their love for sports, a healthy lifestyle, and the understanding of the importance of teamwork.”
Former LFC player Sami Hyypia also remarked, “It’s great to see MGM’s philanthropic and community presence in Macau. As the world’s greatest football family, it’s a great pleasure to be here to deliver some great memories for the youth of Macau.”
According to the statement, Sports Bureau president Pun Weng Kun also attended the event.
Liverpool wins tournament in HK
Liverpool won the 2017 Premier League Asia Trophy after beating Leicester City 2-1 at the Hong Kong Stadium on Saturday night. Philippe Coutinho, subject of a 70-million GBP bid from Barcelona this week, scored the winning goal in the 44th minute of the tournament. Liverpool team manager Jurgen Klopp told the press that Coutinho is a key player for the team. “He loves the club, he loves the city – he is a fantastic footballer. If he is able to play like tonight, in a very difficult moment of the preseason after all the [training] sessions, that shows his [huge] potential,” said Klopp. “It’s really pleasing. We’ve played two hard games in very difficult circumstances against very good opponents,” he added. The Liverpool-Leicester match attracted 39,498 football enthusiasts. The team is now back in Manchester after their Far East tour.
