Julen Lopetegui has warned his Real Madrid side "have to improve in all facets" if they are to challenge Barcelona for the title in La Liga after seeing his side lose their first competitive fixture under his tenure.
The former Spain manager pulled no punches as he assessed his team after Wednesday's 4-2 extra-time defeat to city rivals Atletico Madrid in the Uefa Super Cup in Estonia.
Atleti's Saul Niguez and Koke struck in quick succession in the additional period at Tallinn's A Le Coq Arena following a 2-2 draw in normal time.
Real had been 2-1 up, with Karim Benzema cancelling out Diego Costa's first-minute opener and Sergio Ramos then converting a 63rd-minute penalty, before Costa netted his second of the contest to draw things level.
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"We had good game phases, but it was not enough," Lopetegui said in his post-match interview.
"We have to congratulate Atletico, I believe that they have won deservedly.
"We are not happy and the negative is that we have conceded four goals and this is not normal. This will have to be improved, without a doubt.
"We have to improve in all facets, we do not like when we make mistakes and we have to improve in everything, not only in individual errors.
"[It is a] feeling of frustration and sadness. But knowing that responsibility forces us to get up and try to improve and start the league as we want to start."
For Lopetegui, who succeeded Zinedine Zidane as manager after being controversially sacked by Spain on the eve of this summer's World Cup, it was a warning of what life is likely to be like at Real without club record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Juventus this summer in a €100 million (Dh418.2m) deal.
The Spanish giants clinched a record-extending 13th title in Europe's top club competition in May with a 3-1 victory over Liverpool in the Kiev final, a competition they have now won in each of the past three years and four of the past five. Only one La Liga title has been won in that period, and they finished third last term – 17 points behind bitter rivals Barca.
When asked about Real's hunger having won the Champions League so many times, Lopetegui said: "We want to focus on the season without thinking about the last years and get the best out of the team.
"We want to get up now and think about the league, which makes us excited," added the Spaniard, whose first league fixture will be against Getafe on Sunday. "The team has won few La Ligas in recent seasons and we want to start well.
"They are not less hungry for having won the Champions League. They were hungry, eager, excited to win this title."
Atletico manager Diego Simeone, who was forced to watch from the stands while serving the third match of a four-game touchline ban imposed on him after his sending off in the Europa League semi-final against Arsenal last season, expressed his delight.
The Argentine said: "Happy, once again, we were able to respond very well in a final, especially in Europe.
"Today, we have to enjoy, no doubt. From tomorrow night, we will start thinking about the league, which is going to be a very hard season".
Simeone, who guided his side to the runners-up spot in La Liga last term as well as Europa League glory for a second time, are at Valencia on Monday.
He added: "More titles this season? Everyone knows me: Valencia."
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')
Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Business Insights
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'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
Under 19 World Cup
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The Light of the Moon
Director: Jessica M Thompson
Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David
Three stars
