BARCELONA // Barcelona coach Luis Enrique returns to Celta Vigo’s Balaidos stadium on Sunday, looking to consolidate a four-point advantage at the top of the Primera Liga against the team he led successfully last season before taking over at Camp Nou.
After a three-year stint in charge of Barca’s B team, Luis Enrique’s management career stumbled at Roma in 2011/12 before he won plaudits for inspiring modest Celta to a ninth-placed finish in Spain’s top flight last term.
A former Barca and Spain midfielder, Luis Enrique is a confirmed disciple of the Catalan club’s possession-based, attack-minded playing style.
Celta’s continued success despite a limited budget suggests his positive influence on the club has lingered long after his departure. Celta are 10th with 10 games left and have claimed some impressive wins this season, including a 1-0 victory over Barca at Camp Nou in November.
They also drew 2-2 at Atletico Madrid in September, following that up by surprising the champions 2-0 in Galicia in February.
After leaving Celta and taking over from Gerardo Martino at the end of last season, Luis Enrique has guided Barca to the top of the league, where they are four points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.
They are through to the last eight of the Uefa Champions League and the final of the Copa del Rey, and they have a chance of repeating the unprecedented treble of European and Spanish league and Cup crowns in 2009.
Barca centre-back Gerard Pique said on Wednesday the team had remained true to their playing style but had also become more direct, exploiting the talents of their fearsome attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
“I think the team still has the same philosophy, but we have a lot of options,” Pique said.
“With the three great players we have up front, we haven’t had to change the way we play, but we do deliver a lot of balls to them because we know they will create scoring chances.
“We still dominate games. The style and philosophy remain the same. Barca always has to be the team that takes the initiative.”
Messi’s injured foot has improved, Barcelona said yesterday, suggesting the Argentina forward will be fit for the trip to Celta Vigo.
The top scorer in Spain’s top flight with 32 goals did not feature in either of Argentina’s friendlies during the international break after sustaining a blow to his right foot in last month’s clasico against Madrid.
Chinese pursuing a majority stake in AC Milan
MILAN // AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi could sell the club to a group with direct links to the Chinese government in a move that would see both Milan giants come under Asian ownership, reports in Italy said on Thursday.
Speculation surrounding the eventual sale of seven-time European champions Milan has intensified in the past year amid the club’s struggle to keep pace in Serie A, and their recurring failure to qualify for Europe.
Filippo Inzaghi’s Milan side sit eighth in the Italian top flight, 14 points off the third and last Uefa Champions League qualifying spot and 29 points behind leaders Juventus.
Amid an ongoing crisis in Serie A, Berlusconi has failed to invest heavily in top players. Instead, speculation surrounding his reported desire to wash his hands of the club has increased.
The latest reports quoted Berlusconi as saying “the sale of 75 per cent of the club to the Chinese has been done”. The remarks, according to Askanews, were made by Berlusconi on Tuesday night during a private event.
Gazzetta dello Sport was among several media outlets to report the story, and the Italian sports daily said the 75 per cent stake could sell for between €1-1.5 billion (Dh4bn-6bn).
Milan are said to be among the most popular foreign clubs in China and the push for Berlusconi to sell, according to Gazzetta, has come directly from the Chinese government as they look to raise the sport’s profile in the country.
The report added that Berlusconi has demanded that his daughter Barbara, currently a joint chief executive of the club along with Adriano Galliani, remains as the club’s administrator in any future deal.
Berlusconi reportedly will meet a Chinese delegation in the coming days in Arcore, but it would not be the first time the Italian media tycoon and two-time former prime minister has entertained potential buyers.
Reports last month claimed Berlusconi had signed a preliminary agreement to sell 30 per cent of the club to Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol at the end of May for €250m.
In February, Chinese billionaire and Dalian Wanda group chairman Wang Jianlin, who recently bought Swiss sports marketing giants Infront for €1.05bn as well as a 20 per cent stake in defending Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, had entered the fray as a possible investor.
Berlusconi’s company, Fininvest, has consistently denied that a majority stake in the club was on the market.
As of Thursday, Fininvest had yet to comment on the recent revelations.
If the deal were to go through, Milan would become the second Serie A club to be sold to Asian investors. Indonesian tycoon Erick Thohir bought a 70 per cent stake in Inter Milan in November 2013.
Sevilla to keep hold of Emery
Sevilla are planning to extend the contract of coveted coach Unai Emery. The Spaniard is attempting to lead Sevilla to a second successive Europa League title and the club is also pushing for a top-four finish in the Primera Liga. AC Milan are reportedly keen to sign Emery this summer. “Of course, anything can happen in life, but I don’t see that in the horizon considering what he (Emery) tells me and how happy he is here,” Sevilla president Jose Castro said on Thursday. “He is happy with our project. I speak to Emery every two days and he doesn’t know anything about that (AC Milan interest), those are just football rumours. He is very happy with us and we are even talking to him to extend his contract. There is no hurry, but we cannot rest on our laurels. Right now our focus is on the end of the season. We have 10 La Liga games left.” Emery is under contract with Sevilla for a further season. The coach, 43, joined the club in January 2013 and has led them to fifth-place finishes in the past two seasons.
Conte calls for hearing
Italy coach Antonio Conte is seeking a hearing before prosecutors in Cremona investigating him for match-fixing. Prosecutor Roberto di Martino said yesterday that lawyers for the Italian football federation made the request recently. Conte was among 130 people formally notified by state prosecutors in February that they are under investigation for match-fixing in a case that has stretched back nearly five years. Conte is being investigated for committing sports fraud when he coached Siena in 2010/11. Conte, who has denied wrongdoing, already served a four-month sports ban in the case. Di Martino also says he has been contacted by the London-based Tennis Integrity Unit over a related match-fixing inquiry into Italian players Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace.
Internacional beat Ypiranga in Brazil
Brazilian club Internacional managed to beat Ypiranga in a state championship match on Wednesday even though Fabricio was sent off for making obscene gestures to his own fans, who were booing him. Fabricio was abused by his own supporters 18 minutes into the second half and, in the middle of a dribble, he stopped in his tracks, headed for the touchline and made an obscene gesture to home fans. The 28-year-old defender was sent off and when the Inter fans cheered his departure he ripped off his shirt, threw it to the ground and shouted, “I’m leaving, I’m leaving”, before his teammates tried unsuccessfully to restrain him. The club later suspended Fabricio while his teammates left the stadium without giving interviews.
Morocco sanctions lifted
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday lifted sanctions from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Morocco, freeing the country to play in the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. CAF hit Morocco’s football federation (FRMF) with the ban and a US$1 million (Dh3.67m) fine after it chose not to host the 2015 Cup of Nations amid fears over the Ebola crisis. “The sanctions imposed by the CAF on the FRMF have been set aside, with the exception of the fine, which is however reduced to US$50,000.” CAF had also ordered the FRMF to pay €8 million (Dh32m) “for damages caused to the Confederation of African Football and partners”. CAS said the “question related to the compensation of the possible damage caused by the FRMF to the CAF may still be examined by another jurisdiction”. The FRMF had called for the 2015 tournament, eventually moved at the last minute to Equatorial Guinea. The African division of global players’ union FIFPro have hit out at the CAF for its treatment of Morocco.
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Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THREE
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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
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
