11 hours ago
35
Liverpool will wear a specially designed jersey when it takes on AC Milan in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong this afternoon, as part of the club’s ongoing Asia Tour.
The two sides meet 20 years after their unforgettable clash in Istanbul—widely regarded as the greatest Champions League final of all time. Arne Slot’s Liverpool continues its pre-season preparations with less than three weeks remaining before the new Premier League campaign begins. Following today's match, the Reds will travel to Japan to face Yokohama F. Marinos next week.
Florian Wirtz features in the starting XI, while recent signing Hugo Ekitike is absent from the squad just days after completing his move. Club captain Virgil van Dijk is set to make his first public appearance of the summer, having missed last week’s friendly at Preston North End.
Ahead of the game, club legend Sir Kenny Dalglish helped unveil the Reds’ first official retail store in Hong Kong. The new outlet, located at Kai Tak Sports Park, marks a significant milestone for the club’s global retail presence.
The launch also coincides with the announcement of a five-year extension to Liverpool’s partnership with All Star Partner. The extended collaboration aims to expand access to official Liverpool FC merchandise across Hong Kong and mainland China, strengthening the club’s connection with its growing Asian fanbase.
To celebrate the Asia tour, All Star Partner has designed a unique name and number style for the players’ shirts, inspired by local culture. The special edition design will be worn during the AC Milan match and made available to fans for a limited time — either as a pre-designed item or with custom printing.
Hong Kong plays a vital role in Liverpool’s success, boasting a passionate fan base of 1.2 million supporters.
It also had a TV audience of 3.9 million during the 2023-24 season, and three Official Liverpool Supporters Clubs — making the Reds the second-most-supported European football club in the region.
Liverpool will also pay tribute to Diogo Jota during the game against AC Milan. The players’ shirts will feature a specially designed patch displaying ‘Diogo J. 20’ as a tribute, with a floral wreath to be laid before kick-off.
When Liverpool’s new kits launch on August 1, each player will wear a ‘Forever 20’ emblem incorporated into their shirts and stadium jackets, honoring the tribute throughout the entire season.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has a minor Achilles injury. He, alongside several others, therefore misses the game with AC Milan today.
"He was, of course, with us for the first part of the week, but he had some Achilles problems," Arne Slot said. "We thought it was better to assess it back in England.
"For him to work on [the injury] to come back to the team, [it is] probably in more ideal circumstances for him than being part of the group that every time goes out. So, we decided to let him go back to England. But we hope and expect to have him back soon."
English (US) ·