Hot sports news morning 12/8: 20-year-old Vietnamese-origin player honored in Europe

Morning sports news 12/8: Vietnamese-origin center-back shines in Swiss league; Malaysian FA explains price hike for Vietnam national team match tickets

Vietnamese-origin player Bung Meng Freimann honored in Europe

Vietnamese-origin defender Bung Meng Freimann was recently recognized by CIES Football Observatory as one of the best U21 performers in the Swiss top flight.

In the ranking, the FC Luzern player stands very high and is only behind Lausanne's striker Omar Janneh.

This research institute's analysis evaluates young players' performances based on various statistical indicators and is considered a reputable benchmark internationally. Freimann's inclusion among Switzerland's top young talents highlights his strong progress over the past season.

Bung Meng Freimann has gradually established his place at Luzern and is now considered one of the club's major hopes for the future. His consistent performances at the highest level of Swiss football have not only attracted domestic attention but are now also recognized internationally.

Defender Bung Meng Freimann, born in 2005, stands 1.84m tall, with a Swiss father and a Vietnamese-Chinese mother. He came through the youth academy of FC Luzern (Switzerland). Last season, Bung Meng made 33 appearances in the Swiss league and scored 3 goals.

Malaysian FA explains ticket price hike for Vietnam national team match

FAM (Football Association of Malaysia) explained that the ticket prices for the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinal between Malaysia and Vietnam at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium have increased significantly compared to the group stage. Adult general admission tickets rose from 30 RM (191,000 VND) to 50 RM (319,000 VND), while grandstand tickets cost 70 RM (447,000 VND) and VIP tickets 100 RM (638,000 VND). Children's general admission remains at 5 RM (31,000 VND).

FAM stated that the new prices were calculated based on organization, operation, security, stadium management, and tournament technical requirements, while also considering fans' affordability. However, some Malaysian fans expressed dissatisfaction on social media, arguing that the prices are unreasonable, especially since the match is not at the larger Bukit Jalil Stadium. FAM hopes the ticket prices will not affect support for the Malaysian team.

Inter Miami coach shares about Messi losing a family member

Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos shared about Lionel Messi's absence after his father, Jorge Messi, passed away. Messi returned to Rosario, Argentina with his family to bid farewell to his father, while the entire Inter Miami team is also affected emotionally by this loss.

Hoyos called it 'an enormous tragedy' and said the team deeply feels the pain alongside Messi. According to him, in such moments, words cannot fully express emotions and people need time to overcome the loss. 'There is no real way to learn how to face it, because the pain is too deep,' he said.

'It is an immense pain and we deeply feel it with him. This is an extremely difficult time, and in such moments, words often cannot fully express what one feels,' the Inter Miami coach shared.

On the professional side, Inter Miami is struggling after a defeat to Rayados in the Leagues Cup, threatening their quarterfinal chances. They will face León in the final group match before taking on Nashville.

Unai Emery puts pressure on PSG before match against Aston Villa

Coach Unai Emery affirmed that Paris Saint-Germain is the favorite over Aston Villa ahead of their clash in the European Super Cup in Salzburg. The Spanish manager believes PSG deserves the pressure of expectations after winning the Champions League, while Villa qualified thanks to last season's Europa League title.

Emery told reporters: 'We will try to convey the message to the dressing room, preparing for the match with the mindset that they are the favorites. Because of course, they are.'

Aston Villa faces squad issues as Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins are given additional rest after a busy summer, while new signing Manzambi is absent due to injury. Emery believes resting key players is necessary.

On PSG's side, coach Luis Enrique is also troubled as many players returned late, disrupting preseason preparations and making it difficult to manage playing time.

Arne Slot rejects Netherlands national team

Coach Arne Slot revealed that he turned down the chance to coach the Netherlands national team not because of salary or contract duration as some earlier reports suggested. The former Liverpool manager stated that discussions between him and the Dutch Football Association had not actually reached the stage of negotiating these terms.

The main reason Slot withdrew was that he wanted to continue working at the club level, where he can directly work with players on the training ground every day. According to Slot, the national team environment does not allow him to maintain that regular and continuous way of working.

The 47-year-old manager affirmed that coaching the Netherlands remains a great honor for him in the future. However, Slot believes that the current time is not suitable for taking on the role of national team head coach.

Pep Guardiola nearly appeared in the documentary about Mourinho

The three-part Netflix documentary about Jose Mourinho features many important figures from his career, but some major rivals are absent. Most notably, Pep Guardiola. According to director Joe Pearlman, Guardiola initially agreed to be interviewed but set a condition that Mourinho personally contact him.

This did not happen, so Guardiola did not appear. Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich also did not participate. The team said they did not pursue an interview because they believed Peter Kenyon provided a similar story. Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger was not contacted, despite his famous feud with Mourinho in the Premier League. In contrast, Iker Casillas still appeared and was given the opportunity to share his perspective on the strained relationship with Mourinho at Real Madrid.