Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique insisted the club is not obsessed with winning the Champions League, ahead of their opening Group F match against Borussia Dortmund.
The French champions are still looking for their first European Cup victory despite huge investment by their Qatari owners over the previous 12 years, with an estimated €1.3 billion spent on new players.
Even the arrivals of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos, Gini Wijnaldum and Lionel Messi in the summer of 2021 could not inspire the team to Champions League glory as PSG exited the competition at the last-16 stage for the next two campaigns.
Only goalkeeper Donnarumma and full-back Hakimi remain at the club with the other three departing over the summer – along with Brazilian attacker Neymar – as new manager Luis Enrique implements a change in club philosophy.
They club brought in 10 players this summer, three of whom were free agents and all but one under 27 years old in a major shift in transfer policy.
PSG have started the new Ligue 1 season in mixed fashion, winning two of their five league games, and go into the match against Dortmund having lost 3-2 at home to Nice on Friday, despite two goals from Kylian Mbappe.
The club have won Ligue 1 nine times since the Qatari takeover in 2011 but the Champions League crown remains elusive as they begin their latest attempt to rule Europe against the Bundesliga side in a tough group that also includes AC Milan and Newcastle United.
But Luis Enrique – who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015 – believes any talk of a Champions League obsession is not healthy for any club.
“When a club is obsessed with something, it's never a good sign. You have to have ambition but obsession doesn't work in any area of life,” Luis Enrique told reporters on Monday, ahead of the game at Parc des Princes.
“You have to wait and see how the competition goes, football is a wonderful sport, any result is possible.
“You can play an incredible game and lose, play badly and win. As a club, we play all competitions to win them, that's the objective. It's very ambitious but it's necessary.”
Defender and club captain Marquinhos echoed his manager's sentiments, saying: “The Champions League is not an obsession, there isn't pressure.
“We're working because we're competitors, and the club is determined to win every competition, including this one. We know the path, it's a long one.
“We have to take it step by step, it's a very difficult competition to go after.”
Despite the up-and-down start to the campaign, Luis Enrique is happy with how his players have reacted to what is PSG's fourth manager in less than three years.
“There's a lot of information to pass on, ideas and concepts that the players need to assimilate. I've found the team to be very receptive,” the Spaniard said.
“The fans are incredible. Their support is magnificent, even when the results aren't up to scratch.
“I already have this experience, this process that takes time … I feel calm, there will be good football and good results, I'm sure of it. ”
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How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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