Phan Văn Đức finalizes his decision to play football in Thailand; River Plate wins Copa Libertadores.

According to Iranian media, referee Alireza Faghani, along with his two assistants Reza Sokhandan and Mohammadreza Mansouri, will officiate the second leg of the final at My Dinh Stadium.

According to the newspaperMehr NewsThe refereeing team from Iran that will officiate the second leg of the 2018 AFF Cup final at My Dinh Stadium on December 15th has been determined.

Specifically, referee Alireza Faghani, along with his two assistants Reza Sokhandan and Mohammadreza Mansouri, will be in charge of this crucial match.

Furthermore, this is a world-class refereeing team, having officiated four matches in the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia, most notably the third-place playoff between Belgium and England.

What did Phan Văn Đức say about the opportunity to play football in Thailand?

Recently, rumors have emerged that Nakhon Ratchasima FC, a club playing in Thai League 1, has unexpectedly postponed signing striker Shahrel Fikri (Malaysia) to instead pursue the Vietnamese national team's "duo Duc," Phan Van Duc and Nguyen Anh Duc. According to regulations, starting next season, Thai League 1 will allow each club to register three players of ASEAN origin in their squad.

Therefore, the team ranked 7th in the Thai football league is actively seeking reinforcements for the new season. Previously, several Thai clubs had expressed interest in inviting Vietnamese football stars to play for them, but most only remained at the... interest level.

For his part, striker Phan Van Duc, who is playing exceptionally well for the Vietnamese national team, seems quite indifferent to the aforementioned information. He stated: “I’ve only heard vaguely about the Thai team showing interest in me and Anh Duc. But interest and an invitation are completely different stories. We’ll only know when they send an official invitation to Song Lam Nghe An Club!” he concluded.

Malaysian "spy" spotted during Vietnam national team's training session.

This morning, coach Park Hang-seo unexpectedly changed the training session to the morning instead of the afternoon as planned, catching reporters off guard. As usual, the South Korean coach only allowed reporters to cover the first 15 minutes because it was a closed training session.

However, during the Vietnamese national team's training session, a stranger used his phone to record the entire practice. It is speculated that this man was a Malaysian "spy" who wanted to see how the Vietnamese team practiced their tactics.

Bale scores, Real Madrid return to Top 4

Bale scored again after a 10-game goalless streak. Photo: Reuters

Liga results

Huesca 0-1 Real Madrid
Eibar 4-4 Levante
Real Sociedad 1-2 Realv Valladolid
Real Betis 2-0 Reayo Vallecano

Playing away against the weaker Huesca side, Real Madrid fielded their strongest lineup as a victory would put them back in the Top 4. Real quickly took the lead thanks to Gareth Bale's goal in the 8th minute of the match.

It was thought that the early opening goal would boost Real Madrid's morale. However, the reality proved otherwise. Other Real Madrid players didn't perform well in this match. Fortunately for Real Madrid, they managed to keep a clean sheet in the remaining minutes and ultimately won 1-0.

In a dramatic comeback, River Plate wins the Copa Libertadores.

After much controversy, the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final finally took place at Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium. Despite being played far from Argentina, the intensity of this El Clásico remained undiminished. In the 44th minute, Boca Juniors unexpectedly took the lead thanks to Benedetto's opening goal.

In the second half, River Plate were forced to push forward in search of an equalizer. In the 68th minute, they succeeded with Pratto's close-range tap-in. No further goals were scored, forcing the match into extra time. Boca Juniors were further disadvantaged when, in the 92nd minute, Barrios received his second yellow card and was sent off.

Playing with a man advantage, River Plate continuously pressed their opponents. In the 109th minute, Quintero put Boca Juniors ahead 2-1. In the 120+2 minute, River Plate sealed the 3-1 victory thanks to a brilliant goal from Martinez. Winning 5-3 on aggregate after two legs, River Plate claimed the 2018 Copa Libertadores title.

Barca are determined to pull off a blockbuster transfer with Harry Kane.

According to The Star, Barcelona are planning to gradually replace Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez as the attacking duo are getting older. Therefore, Barca have targeted Harry Kane after the 2018/19 season ends. Recently, the Daily Star reported that Barca are willing to spend £200 million to buy Kane.

To buy Kane, the reigning La Liga champions may sell Ousmane Dembele and Malcom, along with several other players, to raise funds for the Tottenham striker. In addition, Barca are also targeting several backup options such as Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), and Richarlison (Everton).

Manchester United stunned by the price tag for center-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

Kalidou Koulibaly was reportedly a top target for Mourinho and Manchester United in the January 2019 winter transfer window, as the Portuguese manager was obsessed with bringing in a central defender to strengthen a defense that was among the worst-performing teams in the Premier League this season.

Sky Sports reports that Manchester United representatives met with Napoli to negotiate a contract for Kalidou Koulibaly, and immediately received a cold shower that could force the Old Trafford club to abandon their intentions.

Specifically, Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis made it clear to Manchester United that the club considers Kalidou Koulibaly a key player in Ancelotti's squad, currently second in Serie A and temporarily leading Group C of the Champions League, ahead of their crucial match against Liverpool on Tuesday night.

And importantly, Napoli have stated they will not sell Kalidou Koulibaly for less than £90 million. This means that if Manchester United are determined to sign the 27-year-old Senegalese center-back, they will have to pay a world-record fee for a defender.

PSG are preparing a mega-deal to lure Eden Hazard.

Manager Sarri confirmed that Chelsea have offered Eden Hazard a contract extension to keep the Belgian star at Stamford Bridge, as his current contract has 18 months remaining. According to the English press, The Blues are increasing Hazard's salary to £300,000 per week.

However, speculation about his future will only end when the number 10 officially signs a new contract. Currently, besides Real Madrid resuming their pursuit, PSG and Juventus are also rumored to be joining the race.

Specifically, according to Express, wealthy French club PSG is preparing to make a surprising offer to Chelsea for Eden Hazard, despite rumors of concerns regarding Financial Fair Play regulations.