Vietnam's sports delegation rises to second place in the SEA Games 33 overall standings; Real Madrid sets conditions for Alonso to keep his job.

The Vietnamese sports delegation rose to second place in the overall medal standings at the 33rd SEA Games.

The second official day of competition (December 11th) at the 33rd SEA Games marked a strong breakthrough for the Vietnamese Sports Delegation, with athletes continuously winning medals in many Olympic sports.

At the end of the day's competition, Vietnam had won 40 medals, including 14 gold, 7 silver, and 19 bronze, maintaining its second place overall ranking, behind host country Thailand.

The highlight came from the key sports. In karate, the women's kata team (Nguyen Thi Phuong, Nguyen Ngoc Tram, Bui Ngoc Nhi, Hoang Thi Thu Uyen) won the gold medal after defeating Thailand. Taekwondo also contributed a gold medal thanks to martial artist Nguyen Hong Trong.

On the Jujitsu mat, Dang Dinh Tung successfully avenged his defeat against his Filipino opponent to win the gold medal in the 69kg ne-waza category. Judo added another gold medal from the pair Tran Quoc Cuong - Phan Minh Hanh (Nage-no-kata).

Gymnastics continued to assert its dominance as Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien (pommel horse) and Nguyen Van Khanh Phong (rings) both won gold medals. Unfortunately, a dispute arose in the women's vault event, causing Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu to drop from the leading position to receive the silver medal.

In athletics, Ho Trong Manh Hung brought home the first gold medal for the sport in the triple jump. In the women's 1,500m race, Bui Thi Ngan won the gold medal and Nguyen Khanh Linh won the silver; while Luong Duc Phuoc received the bronze medal in the men's event.

At the swimming pool, Pham Thanh Bao successfully defended his title in the men's 100m breaststroke. The men's 4x200m freestyle relay team (Nguyen Viet Tuong, Nguyen Huy Hoang, Tran Van Quoc, Tran Hung Nguyen) staged an impressive comeback to win the gold medal.

On the Rajamangala Stadium pitch, both football teams achieved their goals: Vietnam U22 defeated Malaysia 2-0 to top Group B and advance to the semi-finals; the women's team defeated Myanmar 2-0, securing a place in the top four.

Consecutive victories, especially in Olympic sports, have helped Vietnam solidify its second-place position in the group and opened up expectations for a breakthrough in the following days of competition.

The Prime Minister congratulated the two Vietnamese football teams on reaching the semi-finals of the SEA Games 33.

Yesterday, the Vietnamese women's team convincingly defeated Myanmar, topping Group B and advancing to the semi-finals of the SEA Games 33. In men's football, the U22 Vietnam team beat U22 Malaysia 2-0, securing a place in the semi-finals as group B winners.

Immediately after the Vietnamese national football teams secured two consecutive important victories, the President of the Vietnam Football Federation, Tran Quoc Tuan, conveyed the congratulations of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the entire team.

The Prime Minister highly appreciated the players' dedication and fighting spirit for their country and the nation; he also acknowledged the willpower, courage, and determination of the players in each match. The Government leader also sent words of encouragement to Coach Mai Duc Chung, Coach Kim Sang Sik, and the coaching staff, hoping that the entire team would continue to maintain their form and aim for the best possible results in the next round.

The Prime Minister's congratulations and encouragement are seen as a great source of moral support for the players and coaching staff on their journey to achieve the highest goal at the tournament.

Despite winning 9-0 against Hong Kong, Nam Dinh was still eliminated from the AFC Cup.

On the evening of December 11th (Vietnam time), Nam Dinh hosted Eastern AA at Thien Truong Stadium in the final match of Group F of the AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026. Needing a resounding victory to compete for a place in the next round, the Nam Dinh team delivered a devastating performance, but ultimately suffered a cruel defeat.

Right from the start of the match, Nam Dinh launched a fierce attack and took only 3 minutes to open the scoring. After Pham Ba's close-range shot was blocked, Caio Cesar quickly pounced on the rebound to score the opening goal. Just one minute later, Pham Ba scored himself with a beautiful curling shot to make it 2-0. In the 10th minute, Ly Cong Hoang Anh broke the offside trap and finished with a delicate shot to give Nam Dinh a 3-0 lead.

The one-sided match continued to be solidified when Romulo scored two goals in quick succession in the 17th and 18th minutes, including a deflected long-range shot that left the Eastern goalkeeper helpless, making the score 5-0. Before the first half ended, Percy Tau assisted Brenner for a close-range finish to make it 6-0.

In the second half, Nam Dinh maintained immense pressure. Brenner completed his brace with two consecutive goals in the 59th minute (penalty) and the 63rd minute (header from a corner), bringing the score to 8-0. In the 90+1 minute, an own goal by an Eastern AA defender increased the home team's total to 9-0, rekindling a faint hope in the goal difference race.

The 9-0 victory was Nam Dinh's most spectacular performance in the group stage, but it wasn't enough to secure their progression. Despite having the same points and goal difference as Ratchaburi, the Vietnamese team finished behind due to scoring one fewer goal, thus accepting their disappointing elimination.

Thien Truong concluded an emotional night: exhilarating for 90 minutes, but painful in the final moments of the journey.

Saudi Arabia officially signals interest in signing Salah.

Mohamed Salah is facing an uncertain future at Liverpool as the CEO of the Saudi Arabian Premier League (SPL), Omar Mugharbel, confirmed that the Egyptian forward is on the target list of several Saudi clubs in the January 2026 transfer window.

The 33-year-old star was absent from Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League on December 10th, just days after he publicly criticized manager Arne Slot and the team. Salah said he felt "blamed" for Liverpool's inconsistent form, particularly after the 3-3 draw with Leeds – a match in which he was not used.

Some internal sources suggest that the relationship between Salah and coach Slot has seriously deteriorated.

Despite recently extending his contract until 2027, Salah continues to attract strong interest from Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at the World Football Conference in Riyadh, Mugharbel admitted: "Salah is welcome in the SPL, but negotiations depend on the clubs. Salah is definitely on the target list."

This is the first time an SPL official has publicly mentioned Salah, sparking speculation about his potential departure from Anfield. Previously, Liverpool rejected a £150 million offer from Al-Ittihad in September 2023, and according to SunSport, Al-Hilal is now considering a similar offer.

Following the victory in Milan, manager Slot maintained a cautious stance and did not guarantee Salah's future at Liverpool. He also revealed that he had private conversations with the Egyptian player before the shocking interview that caused a major stir within the club.

With only a few weeks left until the winter transfer window, Salah is expected to head to the Africa Cup of Nations immediately after the match against Brighton this weekend.

It is also unclear whether he will play, after posting a photo of himself training alone while his teammates have already flown to Italy.

Salah's future is becoming a big question mark, and the public statements from Saudi Arabia are making his departure from Liverpool more likely than ever.

Real Madrid set conditions for Alonso to keep his job.

According to Diaro AS, Xabi Alonso's future will be decided after Real Madrid's next three matches. "Los Blancos'" opponents are Alaves, Talavera, and Sevilla. Losing just one of these three matches will immediately result in the 44-year-old coach being sacked by the club's management.

All three clubs Real Madrid will face next are not highly rated. Talavera, in particular, is playing in the Primera RFEF, the equivalent of the third division in Spain. President Florentino Perez will not accept any more unfavorable results in the upcoming matches.

On a day when Kylian Mbappe was absent, Real Madrid took the lead at home but allowed Manchester City to come back and win 2-1. This result caused "Los Blancos" to drop to 7th place and risk elimination if they don't win their remaining two qualifying matches.

"We started very well but didn't control the situation well and suffered a painful blow from the opponent. After conceding two goals, Real Madrid started to play proactively again. However, we weren't good enough in terms of finishing. I take responsibility and don't blame anyone," coach Alonso said after the defeat.

Monaco and Jose Mourinho's Benfica will be Real's final two challenges in this season's Champions League. The La Liga representatives cannot afford to lose if they want to maintain their position in the knockout round.