What shall we call it, Robert Lewandowski was asked, ahead of a possible coronation at the Club World Cup final? The Sextuple? The Six-Pack? The Magnificent Six? Lewandowski smiled and said he wasn’t sure.
A clean sweep of every elite title is so rare, no term for it has an established place in football’s dictionary.
Lewandowski is used to counting in bigger numbers. His two goals, one in each half of the semi-final against Al Ahly, took his tally to 14 in his last 11 starts.
Being Lewandowski, a perfectionist, a part of him will still be self-recriminating for one he missed, a penalty saved last Friday at Hertha Berlin, one of a mere four matches in this season’s Bundesliga in which he has not scored.
Win the final of the Fifa showpiece, where Lewandowski spearheads the favourites against Concacaf champions Tigres UNAL of Mexico, and Bayern would add that rare sixth trophy to their 2019-20 Bundesliga, German Cup, European Cup and the domestic and Uefa Super Cup prizes.
Not since Barcelona completed the clean sweep at the beginning of Pep Guardiola’s period as manager in 2009 has a club achieved the full six.
“When you know only one team has ever done it before, that you could make history for your club and for German football by being only the second, you’ll do everything for that title,” said Lewandowski, who scored 55 goals across league, cup and Europe last term. “It would be the icing on the cake for us.”
Bayern’s would be no less a stunning achievement than the Barcelona of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Guardiola, especially when you consider that they were, like Barca in 2008-09, under the watch of a manager who had never previously taken charge of a top division club as manager.
Hansi Flick was promoted, abruptly, a mere 14 months ago, with the league campaign 10 matches old and faltering. The 55-year-old will be in command of only his 68th Bayern game tonight in Doha. Win it, and he can calculate his strike rate of trophies at one every dozen matches.
Flick’s good fortune has been to inherit the best version of Lewandowski, a centre-forward with few peers and tuned to the vibrant, associative football Flick has cultivated.
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Gallery: Bayern win the Uefa Champions League
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In 58 matches under Flick, Lewandowski has scored or assisted in 84 goals; his understanding with Thomas Muller, a colleague since the Pole left Borussia Dortmund for Bayern in 2014, has functioned perhaps better than ever.
Few in his position have a finer array of crossers to serve them, wingers such as Kingsley Coman, Douglas Costa and now Leroy Sane; dynamic all-terrain partners like Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich; and adventurous full-backs like Benjamin Pavard, Alphonso Davies and Lucas Hernandez.
Lewandowski is only 32 and evidently still hungry, with targets to aim for. He would likely have won the Ballon D'Or if there had been one in the pandemic-hit 2020. He must suspect he only missed out on Europe's Golden Shoe last season because he plays in a league of 34 fixtures rather than 38, like the Serie A of Lazio's Ciro Immobile, who struck two more than Lewandowski's 34 league goals, to claim the award.
But if he needs to see evidence that a centre-forward can improve into his 30s, he need not look too far: Edinson Cavani is a year older; Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in his 40th year.
Andre-Pierre Gignac, meanwhile, is 35, and perhaps the man of this Club World Cup so far. The former France international took an unusual deviation when he left Ligue 1 to join Tigres in Mexico in 2015 – Marseille to Monterrey is not a well-trodden path for professional footballers.
Fast forward five-and-half years, and Gignac is Tigres’ greatest-ever goalscorer, and, as of the weekend, the first man to fire a club from the North and Central America region into a Club World Cup final.
Gignac, rugged and not always appreciated for the real subtlety of his game, scored the winner in the Concacaf Champions League final in December, netted both goals that put the Mexican club past Ulsan Hyundai in the Club World Cup quarter-final and the only goal of the semi against Brazil’s Palmeiras.
That was his sixth in as many matches, a momentum that encourages him. “We are not here to celebrate second place,” he warned Bayern.
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Gallery: Bayern win the Uefa Super Cup
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Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Keita 5', Firmino 26'
Porto 0
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
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Mercedes V250 Avantgarde specs
Engine: 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo
Gearbox: 7-speed automatic
Power: 211hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0 l/100 km
Price: Dh235,000
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Director: Jessica M Thompson
Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David
Three stars
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
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