As club football gets the measure of what a winter World Cup means for its rhythms, a thought for those coaches not busy pouring their energies into how to manage player recuperation or offering sympathy or praise to footballers recently returned from Qatar. The winter World Cup, with barely any holiday time to follow it, has complicated the life of the unemployed, elite manager.
They are a distinguished group, too. Look back over the last five European Cup finals and you find three of the seven different managers involved in them currently out of work, waiting for the right offer.
Zinedine Zidane won the Champions League three times on the trot with Real Madrid, from 2016 to 2018. Thomas Tuchel led different clubs, Paris-Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in successive years to finals, his yield a silver medal and then a gold. Mauricio Pochettino made history for Tottenham Hotspur by guiding them to a final; less than 12 months ago Pochettino was on his way to a league title at PSG.
Nor are these recently medalled, admired out-of-work managers only in Europe. Marcelo Gallardo, who left Argentina’s River Plate in November after an eight-year spell that included two Copa Libertadores triumphs and a winning final in the Copa Sudamericana – the continent’s secondary trophy – is ready to end his short break from touchlines and accept a fresh challenge. Gallardo has already heard from a range of possible suitors well beyond South America.
Each of these coaches’ potential career plans were affected by events in Qatar, especially once France and Argentina won their respective semi-finals. It meant the president of the French Federation, Noel Le Graet, strengthened his resolve to have the long-serving France coach Didier Deschamps extend his commitment with the national team to another World Cup, the 2026 tournament. Deschamps, whose men lost on penalties in the Qatar final, signed his new contract last weekend.
The confirmation that Deschamps, who steered France to the 2018 World Cup title, would take his term into a second decade had several knock-on effects. One of them, indirectly, was the suspension of Le Graet from his position, not for backing Deschamps but in part for dismissive remarks he made about the leading alternative – Zidane.
“I would not have picked up the phone to him,” said Le Graet of Zidane, a hero, as a player, of France’s 1998 World Cup win. It was a sour remark publicly criticised by Kylian Mbappe, France’s highest-profile current player, among others.
Zidane has made no secret of his ambition to manage France, and, had Deschamps overseen a failure in Qatar, would have been well positioned, even if Le Graet was lukewarm on him, to take the reins. Zidane has turned down major club offers in the 18 months since he stepped down from a second spell coaching Real Madrid, always with the France possibility in mind.
With that vacancy now closed, Zidane is understood to feel he needs to return to touchline duties somewhere by the middle of this year. Among the jobs Zidane was sounded out for was PSG, last summer, after Pochettino had been pushed out, despite winning the Ligue 1 title. Christophe Galtier accepted the position instead, and should be secure there at least until June.
Argentina’s rousing win at the Lusail Stadium four weekends ago also meant the Argentinian Football Federation will not be looking for a new manager. Lionel Scaloni, initially a caretaker, now a World Cup winner, is a national idol.
Both Pochettino and Gallardo, former Argentina players, would have been sounded out if Argentina had flopped in Qatar. So would Diego Simeone, whose 11-year spell managing Atletico Madrid appears to be nearing its end date, most likely this summer.
That would crowd the elite pool of job-seeking coaches even further. Some are impatient. Pochettino, like Zidane, is eager to be back in work, six months on from leaving PSG. Tuchel, while enjoying his break since his Chelsea sacking in September, has made it clear he is on the market. Gallardo wants to capitalise on his elevated reputation.
For coaches sitting nervously on benches of big clubs, the de luxe list of would-be replacements is daunting.
Real Madrid – where the veteran Carlo Ancelotti faces a series of big dates in the coming week, Sunday’s Spanish Cup final to be followed by the Club World Cup – are already planning the Italian's succession despite the fact he won the double last May. They have sized up Pochettino in the past.
At Juventus, where a new board are in the process of taking charge, form under Max Allegri may have picked up after a poor start to the campaign but the pursuit of the Serie A title will seem very distant if they lose to table-topping Napoli, already seven points clear on Friday evening. Zidane is former Juventus player, and, as a coach, has been on the club’s radar for many years.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Star%20Wars%3A%20Ahsoka%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Various%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rosario%20Dawson%2C%20Natasha%20Liu%20Bordizzo%2C%20Lars%20Mikkelsen%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
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
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Brief scores:
Toss: Australia, chose to bat
Australia: 272-9 (50 ov)
Khawaja 100, Handscomb 52; Bhuvneshwar 3-48
India: 237 (50 ov)
Rohit 56, Bhuvneshwar 46; Zampa 3-46
Player of the Match: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Player of the Series: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Tips%20for%20holiday%20homeowners
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
