Almost everybody who was there can remember the worst pass Renato Sanches ever made. It was so poorly placed it became a viral sensation.
He was playing for Swansea City, then of the English Premier League, on a late November night at Chelsea. He was wearing the Welsh club’s away kit, a similar share of red to a large logo on one of the perimeter advertising hoardings at Stamford Bridge.
Ball at his feet in midfield, under no particular opposition pressure, Sanches side-footed the ball directly out of play, over the touchline, to no teammate but directly at said logo. In the technical area, his head coach Paul Clement lowered his head into his hand in disbelief. Spectators laughed. Sanches was substituted at half-time.
The moment remains infamous, vivid in the memory because it marked the nadir of a young, hyped player’s sudden plunge. Sanches had found himself playing for Swansea – misplacing a pass, and blaming it on the visual disturbance of an advertising board – on loan barely six months after he had picked up a Bundesliga winners medal with Bayern Munich. Not much more than a year had passed since he won Euro 2016 as a teenager with Portugal and starred in Benfica’s league-winning side.
That year he won the ‘Golden Boy’ award, the prize for the best footballer under 21 in Europe. He had a queue of suitors. Bayern had agreed a transfer fee with Benfica of €35 million well ahead of the Euros, mindful other superclubs would be chasing him ever harder once they saw him galvanise the midfield in Portugal’s historic triumph.
It seemed a long way down to being shipped off to Swansea. Bayern had lost faith in him in the course of his first season in Bavaria. But the story of Sanches, or simply Renato as he is mostly known, would have many more fluctuations. It still does, and keeps straying from the trajectory gloomily forecast for him as he turned 20, and found that even relegation-bound Swansea had little use for him.
Here, it was assumed, was a classic sporting tale: too much, too young, a prodigy overhyped and overrated then painfully exposed by the hard, hurried world of the adult sport. “He had big talent, but he stopped learning when he left Benfica and went to one of the biggest clubs in the world,” concluded Carlos Carvalhal, his Portuguese compatriot and the manager who replaced Clement at Swansea.
Five years later, the verdict on Renato is more nuanced. The learning did not stop but re-started, albeit in fits and starts but enough of them to make it unwise to predict that, as he approaches his 26th birthday next month, Renato will never climb close to the peaks predicted for him as a dynamic all-round midfielder.
He has added three more league titles - one with Bayern where he returned, and found a happier niche, from Swansea; another as part of the upstart Lille team of 2020/21 – and has again come into the view of superclubs, as did in his wonderboy days.
He spent last season at Paris Saint-Germain, who bought him from Lille and where won Ligue 1 for the second season running. Last month, Renato was recalled to the Portugal national squad for the first time since 2021.
Next month, Renato anticipates another restart, a probable departure from Paris with the new PSG head coach Luis Enrique seemingly less of an enthusiast about him than his predecessor Christophe Galtier - who also oversaw Renato’s renaissance at Lille - had been.
A journey that has passed through Lisbon, Munich, South Wales, northern France and Paris may soon be heading not downwards but sideways, and to Rome. An adventure in Serie A to add to his experiences of the Bundesliga, the Premier League, and to the top divisions of Portugal and France, beckons.
Roma have been in prolonged negotiations with PSG over a loan for Renato, with a view to a permanent signing. If they bear fruit, he would certainly add to his learning. Jose Mourinho, his compatriot, is about to begin his third season in charge of Roma, and, working with a restricted budget, is backing himself to maximise the potential of various former prodigies.
Paulo Dybala, once a celebrated teenaged starlet, joined Mourinho at Roma from Juventus last season, and at 29, had his most effective year as a goalscorer since 2017/18. Among this summer’s arrivals at Roma is Houssem Aouar, the Algeria international and former Golden Boy nominee, now 25 and keen to fulfill the forecasts made of his great playmaking potential during his breakthrough period at Olympique Lyonnais.
“Mourinho had a big part in my deciding on Roma,” said Aouar, “I couldn’t say no to the chance to be coached by a phenomenon.” Renato hears that, and knows there are many years of learning left if he plans them wisely.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
NEW%20PRICING%20SCHEME%20FOR%20APPLE%20MUSIC%2C%20TV%2B%20AND%20ONE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20Music%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20individual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2410.99%20(from%20%249.99)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20family%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2416.99%20(from%20%2414.99)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIndividual%20annual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24109%20(from%20%2499)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20TV%2B%3Cbr%3EMonthly%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%246.99%20(from%20%244.99)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAnnual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2469%20(from%20%2449.99)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20One%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20individual%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2416.95%20(from%20%2414.95)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20family%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2422.95%20(from%20%2419.95)%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMonthly%20premier%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2432.95%20(from%20%2429.95)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
More on Quran memorisation:
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Silva 8' &15, Foden 33')
Birmginahm City 0
Man of the match Bernado Silva (Manchester City)
More coverage from the Future Forum
The%20specs
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The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How Beautiful this world is!
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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