Rival bosses Simone Inzaghi and Sergio Conceicao paid tribute to Sven-Goran Eriksson and highlighted his influence on their careers ahead of the Italian Super Cup final in Riyadh.
Inzaghi, now the coach of Internazionale, and Conceicao, recently installed at the helm of city rivals AC Milan, won a league-and-cup double as teammates under the Swede Eriksson at Lazio during the 1999/2000 season.
Inzaghi would go on to spend 10 more seasons at the Rome club, while Conceicao departed for Parma before spending two seasons with Inter, the side he seeks to upset in Riyadh on Monday night (11pm UAE).
Eriksson, who himself left Lazio in 2001 for a high-profile five-year stint in charge of the England national team, died last August aged 76 and following a career in which he won 18 trophies in Sweden, Italy and Portugal.
He clearly left his mark on the two men who will occupy the dugouts at Al Awwal Park on Monday.
“Sven is in my heart and that of everyone who was in that Lazio team,” said the former Porto coach Conceicao, 50, who replaced the sacked Paulo Fonseca last week.
“I had a lot of great Italian coaches, such as [Arrigo] Sacchi and [Alberto] Malesani, and I learnt in the Italian school of coaching. It's an honour for me to be here now.”
Monday's game is not the first time the two former students of Eriksson have met, with the coaches clashing on the sidelines of a feisty Uefa Champions League last-16 tie in the 2022/23 season, when Conceicao's Porto lost 1-0 to Inter on aggregate. Inzaghi said the two have not spoken since but also played down the rift.
“We have not seen or spoken to each other since, but nothing extraordinary happened,” the 48-year-old Italian said.
“We were together for many years and shared a dressing room. We had a great teacher in our former Lazio coach Eriksson, who led many of us players into the coaching profession.”
Conceicao insisted that their shared history counted for much more than recent touchline skirmishes.
“I will definitely shake his hand,” said the former winger. “Back when I was at Porto there were incidents that are part of the game. Of course, I respect him.
“We are men of football, we played together and love each other. He will be my friend before and after the match. During the game, though, we will be opponents.”
Conceicao was visibly struggling with flu throughout Sunday's press briefing, but would no doubt be energised by landing a trophy in only his second game in charge. The first was a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Juventus in the Super Cup semi-final last Thursday.
“I hope the team is better than me. We're preparing for a final against a strong side who have been successful in recent years,” added the Milan boss.
“They've had the same coach for a while and the players know each other. We need to focus on ourselves. We have had a day less to rest and four or five players who aren't fully fit.”
Among that number is winger Rafael Leao, who has missed the last two games with a muscle injury.
“We will have to assess the situation. He is definitely not at 100 per cent to play 90 minutes. I’ll make a decision after training,” Conceicao said of the Portuguese international.
Forward Marcus Thuram is also doubtful for holders Inter, having sustained a thigh injury during Thursday's 2-0 semi-final win over Atalanta.
That victory, secured courtesy of Denzel Dumfries' double, plus the fact that Inter are aiming to lift the Super Cup for a record-equalling fourth consecutive year, sees them start as healthy favourites at Al Awwal Park, the home of Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr and their captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, when the sides met in Serie A back in September, it was Milan who claimed a 2-1 victory – a fact not lost on Inter's Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez.
“For us, coming and playing here has been important in the past finals because we won the trophy and also because I scored,” said Martinez, referencing his goals in each of Inter's last two Saudi-hosted Super Cup victories.
“It was great to have managed to score in both finals played here. Tomorrow it’s an important game because it’s the derby. We need to prepare to be at our best in the game. Atalanta was a physical game, but I feel very confident that we will make a good performance.
“We are good as a group, as a team. This is important, given that we face a strong team, and one that has beaten us so far in the league. We will try to bring the trophy home, which is what we all want.
“It’s a final, a derby, and we all know how important it is. This is the first trophy we face, the first goal of the year. As we always say, we play to win every competition. I’m calm, even if a goal doesn’t come. I have other teammates who are scoring. Inter has to win, and that’s the only thing that matters.”
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
RIVER%20SPIRIT
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Company%C2%A0profile
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
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
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
