The season has barely begun, and reputations are being shattered.
The best defence in the last Premier League, Liverpool's, conceded three goals within the first 66 minutes of their title defence.
Bayern Munich, with the meanest rearguard in Germany, shed four in their first Bundesliga away game.
The hermetic back-line that made Real Madrid Spanish champions let in two in just over half an hour of their first trip outside the Spanish capital.
These habits cannot all be blamed on oversensitive interpretations of handball laws, or a shortened pre-season, or the lapses in defenders’ concentration that matches without the noise of a crowd are said to provoke.
But there is clearly a trend, and one that Inter Milan, proud owners of the tightest defence in Serie A last season and Europa League finalists followed in spectacular fashion, on Matchday 1 of their new campaign.
Inter shared seven goals with Fiorentina on Saturday, equalising twice, and leading for only six minutes of the 90. Seven-goal see-saws are not an Antonio Conte trademark.
This is a manager whose three Serie A titles managing Juventus, were achieved by building a fortress at the back, and who won the Premier League with Chelsea, at his first attempt, by reducing his club’s Goals Against column from 53 in one season to 33 the next.
Conte’s Inter, meanwhile, kept 17 clean sheets, more than anybody else, in their 2019-20 Serie A campaign, in finishing second in the table to Juventus; they conceded their first goal at home only in October.
But to kick off 2020-21, at San Siro, they had let in three by the 63rd minute, none of them likely to allow Conte to lean back in his desk chair as he reviewed the video footage and sigh to himself that there was nothing his players could have done better.
Fiorentina’s first, within three minutes of kick-off, was pure slapstick, saw Christian Kouame and Giacomo Bonaventura allowed time to exchange passes on the edge of the Inter six yard box before the Ivorian scored after a simple high ball had confused both their markers.
Granted, Conte had fielded a rather experimental back three. The holes in it had been instantly exposed and would be again by Fiorentina’s counter-attacking, the ageless Franck Ribery setting up Gaetano Castrovilli and Federico Chiesa for two goals in a six-minute, second-half burst.
Yet, after the final whistle, Conte sounded unusually philosophical. “We had some issues with the balance of our defence,” he said. “But there were many positives. Perhaps I have things to learn. When the right result doesn’t come to me, I get angry, and forget to enjoy the journey.”
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Gallery: Juve beat Sampdoria in season opener
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More easily said when the rollercoaster journey finishes in a 4-3 win – thank to strikes from each of his trusted front pair Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku, an own goal, and a last-gasp matchwinner from defender Danilo D'Ambrosio – but still an out-of-character remark from a coach who has spent much of his first year-and-a-bit at Inter grumbling about his circumstances.
Some of Conte’s irritation has been to do with perceived restrictions in the transfer market, although it would be hard to argue that he has been prevented from transforming the look of Inter since arriving.
Of the 15 outfield players he used to swing the helter-skelter contest with Fiorentina, there were 12 who have come into the club since he took over in July 2019, including most of the cadre of players signed from English clubs, such as Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Ashley Young and Christian Eriksen.
Some are experienced returnees from loan spells, notably Ivan Perisic, back from his Champions League-winning season at Bayern Munich, and Radja Nainggolan, back from Cagliari.
If Nainggolan stays beyond next week’s close of the current window, Conte can hardly cite a lack of aggression in midfield.
He brought on the pugnacious Belgian along with that fierce old warrior Arturo Vidal, signed this month from Barcelona, for the last 15 minutes.
If they were designed to scare Fiorentina into submission, others off the bench served to pass Inter to victory: Achraf Hakimi, freshly signed from Borussia Dortmund, set up Lukaku’s equaliser for 3-3; within two minutes Sanchez provided the service for the winning goal.
That’s a quartet of substitutes any manager would envy. “All quality footballers,” beamed Conte of his supersubs.
As Inter head to Pippo Inzaghi’s newly-promoted Benevento on Wednesday and the chance to move ahead of Juventus, who have dropped two points already, they are entitled to believe that, in terms of strength in depth, they are a match for the defending champions.
With five substitutions per match now a fact of life in Serie A, Conte should be well armed in his principal mission – to break Juve’s nine-year monopoly on the Italian title.
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Jebel Ali card
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
The National selections
1.45pm: Cosmic Glow
2.15pm: Karaginsky
2.45pm: Welcome Surprise
3.15pm: Taamol
3.45pm: Rayig
4.15pm: Chiefdom
4.45pm: California Jumbo
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m, Winner: ES Rubban, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Al Mobher, Sczcepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Jabalini, Tadhg O’Shea, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: AF Abahe, Tadgh O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Makerah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Law Of Peace, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
SPECS
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THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
AUSTRALIA SQUADS
ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Twenty20 squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
More about Middle East geopolitics
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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
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
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Who is Tim-Berners Lee?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.
'Hocus%20Pocus%202'
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Barbie
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
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
UAE%20Warriors%2033%20Results
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2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
