AC Milan’s achievements of the late 1970s were cast under the shadow of the Totonero match-fixing scandal, when players and officials of several Italian clubs were found guilty of arranging results with an illegal bookmaking syndicate.
Milan, popularly known as the Rossoneri, in 1980 suffered the ignominy of being demoted to Serie B, Italy’s second division, for their involvement.
They returned to the first tier without fuss, cantering through a league clearly below their lofty standards. The enforced relegation, however, had a lasting effect and it wasn’t easy going once they’d reclaimed their seat at the top table.
Come 1986, enter one Silvio Berlusconi, a Milanese who purported to have been born with the club’s blood coursing through his veins, a claim disputed by those who insist he was a boyhood fan of cross-city rivals Inter Milan. Nonetheless, having amassed vast wealth as a TV and media magnate, Berlusconi bought AC Milan on the promise he would breathe new life into the sleeping giant, a phoenix-from-the-flames scenario.
The fanfare as he burst on to the scene was unprecedented, a glitzy scene featuring helicopters, a Wagner soundtrack and a choreographed dance routine. The aircraft landed and emptied out Milan’s players and coaching staff, leaving only the new owner, who tantalised supporters with a powerful speech and a vow of good times ahead. Few would have imagined how true to his word Berlusconi, who died on Monday, turned out to be.
Arrigo Sacchi was brought in as coach and the team was suffused with a fresh intensity, eschewing Italy’s traditional ultra-defensive methodology. As Berlusconi later declared: “We revolutionised this philosophy and Milan became the team that took to the field to dominate, to win, to create chances, to score plenty of goals, to play quality and entertaining football for the fans and to always respect our opponents.”
The players were encouraged to give their all in training, which hitherto had hardly been customary, and their fitness levels and the high defensive line favoured by Sacchi worked wonders, the Serie A title bagged in his first season. Berlusconi from time to time involved himself directly in playing matters and though this was refuted by Sacchi, he described the club’s owner as the man who “started the renaissance of Italian football” and “gave life to Milan”.
What Berlusconi certainly gave Milan was investment and ambition. The Netherlands were a dominant force in international football at the time and the spine of their team had a phenomenal impact on the Rossoneri. Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit (signed for a world record fee) were part of Sacchi’s 1987-88 title-winning side (of Van Basten, Berlusconi said he knew he “would have to use all my powers of conviction and persuasion to make him accept our offer. We all know how it went when he came to Milan”).
Frank Rijkaard then joined from Real Zaragoza that summer. Van Basten, with his clinical decisiveness in front of goal, and Gullit’s leadership skills, directness and ability to run with the ball were hugely influential, but Rijkaard was arguably the final piece of the jigsaw, Sacchi transforming the central defender into a holding midfielder whose aggression and athleticism set the tone for the team’s play. The Dutch trio were far from Milan’s only world-class players yet their collective influence was immeasurable.
True, no Serie A titles followed over the next three years but back-to-back European Cups did, shortly before the format changed to the Champions League. Milan made short work of Steaua Bucharest in the 1989 final in Barcelona, thanks to two goals apiece for Gullit and Van Basten. The following year in Vienna, a tighter game was settled when Rijkaard scorched through the Benfica defence to net the only goal.
The mutual respect that formed the bedrock of the Berlusconi-Sacchi relationship was confirmed when the former spoke fondly of the coach “who had a clear idea of football, who could instil in the players the right mindset, someone who could instil teamwork and set specific objectives to achieve”. Berlusconi had found the right man at the right time.
Sacchi left in 1991 to coach the Italian national team and was replaced by Fabio Capello at Berlusconi’s behest. Capello had coached AC Milan’s youth teams and overseen the rise of Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta, by this time regular fixtures in the first team. If anything, Milan grew in strength under Capello and the seamless switch of managers saw them sweep to the 1991-92 Serie A title undefeated, scoring a barrowload of goals.
They retained the league title not once but twice, swatting aside the domestic opposition with a ruthless swagger. But the perfect storm surely came on the night of May 18, 1994. The Champions League final had pitted Milan against Barcelona, managed by the great Johan Cruyff. Most analysts foresaw an even game of contrasting styles but instead Milan ripped their opponents to ribbons, delivering a footballing masterclass. When Marcel Desailly crashed home Milan’s fourth on the hour mark, they could afford to take their foot off the gas, job done. The 4-0 destruction still goes down as one of European football’s greatest displays.
Capello’s men again won Serie A in 1995-96 but some stale years followed as the team underwent an overhaul. The title was clinched under Alberto Zaccheroni in 1998-99 but Milan didn’t regain their true stature until Carlo Ancelotti took the reins, winning the 2003 Champions League somewhat fortuitously in a penalty shoot-out against Juventus, then Serie A the following season. They reached the European summit once more, Ancelotti guiding them to victory over Liverpool in Athens in 2007, and won the domestic league in 2010-11 under Max Allegri, with some relatively turgid performances between. By this stage the glory days were perhaps over, but what glory days they were. Berlusconi sold his stake in AC Milan to Chinese investors in June 2017 for $630 million and became owner of Monza, now a Serie A side, a year later.
Thanks to Milan’s victories, I am the most successful president in the history of world football
Silvio Berlusconi
It is tricky to calibrate Berlusconi’s role in all this but he had the foresight to hire Sacchi, Capello and Ancelotti, “the only three coaches I could fully work with, in total harmony, both for Milan’s philosophy and style of play, and for the starting XI they would pick every Sunday and which they would discuss with me before every game”. Sacchi himself spoke of Berlusconi as a visionary.
Looking at the characteristics of today’s super clubs, such as Real Madrid or Manchester United, they have enormous wealth, a pulling power, a magnetism that draws a fan base sprawled around the world. Milan had that in the early 1990s, people wanted to watch them, not only their fans but a wider football public.
Ancelotti, who has gone on to become one of the most successful coaches in history, has said Berlusconi “will be impossible to match” and told of when he rang Milan’s president and begged: “Buy me [Alessandro] Nesta and we’ll win the Champions League.” Berlusconi did and Milan duly obliged.
Much can be said of Berlusconi and his antics as Italy’s prime minister and the controversy that seemed to follow his every step. But those initial years of his ownership, especially from 1988-1996, bore the rise of football’s first super club. As he himself said: “Thanks to Milan’s victories, I am the most successful president in the history of world football.” It’s difficult to dispute that.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Australia squads
ODI: Tim Paine (capt), Aaron Finch (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
T20: Aaron Finch (capt), Alex Carey (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
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BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
QPR 0
Watford 1
Capoue 45' 1
Race results:
1. Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi: 46.44 min
2. Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team: 0.91sec
3. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team: 31.43sec
Oppenheimer
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PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
MATCH INFO
Azerbaijan 0
Wales 2 (Moore 10', Wilson 34')
More on animal trafficking
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends
Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!
Favourite country to visit: Italy
Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Family: We all have one!
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Sterling 46', De Bruyne 65', Gundogan 70')
Aston Villa 0
Red card: Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
