It was not supposed to be like this at Malaga. When Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, took over last summer after buying the Primera Liga club for €36 million (Dh182.2m), he spoke of a bright new dawn for a club who have yo-yoed between the top two divisions.
Malaga would challenge Real Madrid and Barcelona. They would build a new stadium to seat 65,000, despite their average crowds of 17,000 being fine in the modern, 29,000-capacity Estadio La Rosaleda.
His statements were taken with a pinch of salt, but Malaga's wage bill ranked sixth in the league and the respected Jesualdo Ferreira was appointed as coach. Seven new players were brought in before the season started, including one for a club-record €3.5m.
Hopes were high but have slumped desperately as Malaga sit bottom of the league, a position in which they are expected to remain with just 11 games left.
Their season started poorly and got worse. Ferreira was sacked after 10 games and replaced by Manuel Pellegrini, the intelligent coach who enjoyed so much success at Villarreal that Real Madrid appointed him last season.
Pellegrini and a respected new sporting director, Antonio Fernandez, oversaw a spending spree in an otherwise quiet January transfer window in Spain as Malaga sought to buy their way out of trouble. The highly rated Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo came on loan, as did the Argentinian international Martin Dimichelis, from Bayern Munich.
The Madrid midfielder Julio Baptista also arrived at a cost of €2.5m, as well as Enzo Maresca, once of Juventus, West Brom and Sevilla. Meanwhile, the players who had been bought in the close season were sparsely used.
Malaga's latest batch of new signings have made little difference. True, they have played Barcelona, Sevilla, Villarreal, Valencia and Real Madrid away since the turn of the year, but they are sinking fast and their cause is not helped by the lowly teams around them picking up points.
Following a rare win against relegation rivals Almeria recently - their first in eight games - Malaga rested key players for their next match against Real Madrid and were beaten 7-0 in the Bernabeu.
Pellegrini claimed it was all part of a master plan which involved losing to Madrid and then beating relegation rivals Osasuna three days later.
He said it would be "irresponsible" to beat Madrid and then lose at home to Osasuna.
Most coaches may think the same. They know that they are not going to beat a Madrid side away who have won every game at the Bernabeu, but to say so publicly is another thing.
The Spanish media hammered Pellegrini, but the Malaga fans retained faith in the Chilean. For the Osasuna game, they filled the Rosaleda for the first time this season and got behind their side in a match billed as a final. And given that Osasuna had not won away for over a year, surely Malaga could triumph. Instead, the Osasuna defender Sergio Fernandez scored a superb 92nd-minute winner to condemn Malaga to yet another defeat.
At the foot of the table, Malaga are two points behind Almeria, three behind Hercules and four from safety. There are more worrying signs and not just on the playing front for a team which has used five goalkeepers so far this season.
The Qatari owners have been seen less and less around the club, while the acting chief executive recently flew to Qatar to ask for €25m. Players complained that they were not paid in February, while rivals have done likewise for not receiving transfer fees. Just six players have started more than half the league matches, a source of discontent.
Pellegrini has arguably his toughest job yet.
sports@thenational.ae
Italy: Roma need a rescue
Troubled Roma take on Lazio in the city derby tomorrow desperate to save their season after being eliminated from the Champions League in midweek.
They lost 6-2 on aggregate to Shakhtar Donetsk and go into the derby encounter in need of a victory to cut the five-point deficit on their rivals, who occupy the fourth and last Champions League qualifying spot.
Roma have won the side’s two previous meetings this season, but with Claudio Ranieri having left last month, the new coach Vincenzo Montella is now feeling the heat.
“A month ago we were all brilliant players so I don’t know why people are thinking differently now,” he said. “Nobody goes out there to lose. We know what the atmosphere will be like and the fans should know we’ll be giving it our all.”
Germany: 100 not out for Lahm
Philipp Lahm, the Bayern Munich defender, will make his 100th consecutive start as his team face Hamburg SV today, having played in every Bayern game since April 2009.
“Obviously there are days when you get tired or are a bit injured,” the German international told the club website.
“But this run is good because it shows that I have stayed healthy for a long time.”
Lahm, who has missed only 15 minutes in his last 99 games, being taken off in a German Cup game in 2009, said part of his healthy regime was sleeping for almost 10 hours a night. “I sleep a lot, on average about nine-and-a-half hours. It makes me feel good.”
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund could be without their top striker Lucas Barrios (calf) and the centre-back Mats Hummels (trapped nerve) when the league leaders play against Hoffenheim today, according to their coach, Juergen Klopp.
France: Vital time for Nancy
Reynald Lemaitre, the Nancy defender, believes it is vital that his side emerge victorious from their contests with the teams around them who are also fighting to avoid the drop to Ligue 2.
Nancy are one place and three points above the relegation zone heading into today’s match against Caen, with their opponents three points better off in 14th place.
Asked if this game could be a turning point in Nancy’s season, Lemaitre told his club’s website: “Yes, clearly. The next game against Monaco [who are 18th] is vital, as well, because we need points. A win would do us much good in the standings, but also boost us mentally. In this very tight league where six or seven teams will fight to maintain their place in the top flight, it is very important to negotiate these direct confrontations.”
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 2 Bournemouth 1
United: Sharp (45 2'), Lundstram (84')
Bournemouth: C Wilson (13')
Man of the Match: Jack O’Connell (Sheffield United)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The five pillars of Islam
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
