DUBAI // About 128 million of the 350 million people in the Mena region are fans of Spain's Primera Liga, Fernando Sanz said, explaining why the league went to Dubai to open its first office outside of Spain.
"Real Madrid and Barcelona are the biggest clubs in the world," said Sanz. the general director of the Middle East office. "We are here for all the clubs in the league, in general, and all the countries are equally important for us, not just the UAE."
It sometimes seems everyone in the region is a fan of one of Spain’s big two clubs, but some have suggested their dominance has made the league boring.
The extended run of Atletico Madrid near the top of the table has provided a welcome change. “This is great news for us that Atletico Madrid has come up and is giving competition to Barca and Real,” Sanz said. “Even the mid-table clubs, like Villareal, Valencia, Sevilla, are difficult teams.
“We have seen, a couple of years ago, Athletic Bilbao beat Man United in the Champions League, and our clubs perform well in the Europa League as well, so the teams are really strong.”
Spain’s is the only league in the world where TV revenues are not distributed evenly among all clubs. Barcelona and Real Madrid take 60 per cent of the revenue and also work on private TV deals.
Sanz defended the arrangement.
“See, Barca and Real are the two biggest clubs of our league and the world – the league works because of them,” he said. “I don’t mean the league can run only by them. We need all 20 clubs. But they take our league and country around the world, so this is something different for us.
“Real Madrid and Barcelona are lucky clubs because they generate annual revenues of up to €500 million (Dh251.1bn). So they can buy the best players like Bale, like Neymar because they can afford it.
“There is no problem with that.”
The league has several teams in financial distress
It has been reported top-flight clubs owe the government €670 million in taxes. However, Sanz said an economic control system has cut the total owed to the government to €300m to €350m.
“Things have improved a lot in the league,” he said. “This is very good news for us.”
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Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
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Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
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