From the perspective of Italy manager Roberto Mancini, these are bittersweet days. The patriot in him enjoys the talk of an improbable Grand Slam, a scenario where, by June, the Italian flag is draped over every significant Uefa trophy.
At the same time, Mancini would like the triple target, very much alive, of Italian clubs making the finals of the Champions League, the Europa League and their infant sibling, the Conference League, to feel … well, to feel a bit more Italian.
The club Mancini long ago guided to the first of the league titles of his managerial career, Inter Milan, can on Wednesday guarantee an Italian presence in the most prestigious of those finals. Should Inter hold on to the lead – 2-0 – they efficiently took away from Lisbon in the first leg of their quarter-final against Benfica, they will meet a fellow Serie A club next.
Mancini would be delighted to see key men from his national squad, winners of the last European Championship such as Nicolo Barella and Alessandro Bastoni, boosted by Inter’s best progress in the competition since they were its last Italian winners in 2010. But he’d be even more thrilled if Inter ever fielded a high-class native Italian striker, a species Mancini is concerned is threatened with extinction.
When Serie A’s dominant presence, in terms of numbers, in these later phases of the European club knockouts is labelled a “renaissance”, Mancini says sceptically: “If clubs like Inter, AC Milan and Napoli were fielding 33 Italian players between them, you could call it a renaissance. But the numbers aren’t even half of that.”
Likewise, when he recalls how important his core of Juventus footballers were in carrying Italy to triumph at Euro 2000 – a Juve hero, Leo Bonucci, scored Italy’s goal in the final against England; Juve players converted two of the three successful penalties in the shoot-out – he can only feel frustrated watching the Old Lady close out a 1-0 lead over Portugal’s Sporting in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final with only two Italians on the pitch.
Still, Juve need only hold that advantage in Lisbon to maintain the Serie A momentum. If Roma can overturn a 1-0 deficit to Feyenoord in Rome, then the Europa League could have an all-Italian final.
On the same night, Fiorentina, where Mancini won his first trophy as a coach – the 2001 Coppa Italia – should comfortably make their way to the last four of the Conference League, which Roma won last season. The Tuscan club lead Lech Poznan 4-1.
To some of 58-year-old Mancini’s generation of Italian greats, surveying this sweep of possibilities provokes a happy nostalgia. You have to rewind almost 30 years to recall a period when Italy was quite so present in the later stages of all Europe’s club competitions.
It was a dominance with deep foundations. In 1992 Mancini was a striker with Sampdoria, not a traditional heavyweight when they reached the European Cup final; the same year Torino reached the final of what was then called the Uefa Cup.
Two seasons later, AC Milan were winning their third European Cup in seven seasons, Inter claiming the Uefa Cup and Parma were in the final of the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup. That 1994 summer, Italy, with their fleet of Milan defenders and Juventus’s Roberto Baggio as chief creator, lost a World Cup final only on penalties.
The man who managed that Azzurri then, and had previously made Milan exemplars of the club scene, Arrigo Sacchi, welcomes the comparisons. “I do see a real renaissance in Italian football,” Sacchi said, “our best clubs can match anybody’s”.
That raises the issue of how far is the gap between Italy’s very best club domestically and the rest. In Serie A, Napoli are such runaway leaders there is no league ‘title race’ to speak of. Yet the top division has become much more fluid. Barring a catastrophic collapse, Napoli will be the fourth different Italian champion in four years.
Inter, Serie A winners in 2021, are currently not in the top four; Juventus, who won every league title between 2012 and 2020 but who were docked 15 points for financial irregularities earlier this season, sit seventh.
All this variety sits in stark contrast to other major leagues. The Bundesliga has produced the same champion, Bayern for a decade, Paris Saint-Germain have won eight of the last 10 Ligue 1 title, Manchester City four of the last five Premier Leagues.
That last name will be the one Mancini pauses on longest when he wonders how far the so-called Italian renaissance might go. He was once a City manager, too, at a time when they were still developing as a Champions League force. They have grown since.
As long as City, who face Bayern with a 3-0 advantage in their quarter-final second leg on Wednesday, are still in the European Cup, no Italian can dream of a full Grand Slam without a degree of fantasy.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)
Sunday
Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
