Bayern Munich have long had a plan for how they would seize their sixth European Cup. It would be overseen by an up-and-coming manager.
The football would be daring, the response to pressure nerveless. The team would have its German core and be strong on the wings, as many of the best Bayern sides have been.
The visionary coach was supposed to be Pep Guardiola, appointed when Bayern were last the holders of the Champions League, having won it in 2013 under their favourite, ageing caretaker Jupp Heynckes.
Guardiola led them to three semi-finals, but never beyond. Niko Kovac became their next bright up-and-coming candidate, after Heynckes had taken on a firefighter role again and his Bayern weathered another semi-final loss, in 2018.
Then, last November, the club’s high command, populated by former champion players, lost faith in Kovac.
The problems seemed grave, and even Bayern’s grip on a domestic league they have won every year since 2012 looked threatened.
“I was reading headlines back in November,” noted a member of the club’s backroom staff. “They said ‘Bayern have lost their fear-factor’, ‘The respect has gone’.
The speaker? Hansi Flick. In November, with Kovac sacked after a 5-1 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt, he was promoted to temporary head coach.
Thirty-six matches later – just two of them defeats and one a draw – Flick’s Bayern are European champions and owners of a Treble.
It is not to flatter the 55-year-old tactician, a former Bayern player whose coaching career has been spent largely as an assistant, to call them ‘Flick’s Bayern’, because apart from the uplift he has clearly stimulated, he has also left a clear imprint on how the team win.
Flick’s shrewdness in team selection now has a gleaming trophy moment – the Kingsley Coman header that defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in Lisbon.
Coman, a Parisian who came through the PSG youth ranks, had started neither the quarter-final, the 8-2 win over Barcelona, nor the semi-final, 3-0 against Lyon.
Ivan Perisic, the experienced Croatian, was entitled to feel that in both those matches, he had performed more than well enough to retain his position on the left wing for the final. Flick instead backed Coman to apply a little more acceleration and trickery.
He may not have explicitly backed Coman to win the match with a header. Coman is accomplished in the air, but dominating the far post is not what he is best known for.
But the goal that won the Cup said much about the virtues Flick has finessed across a set of players he knows intimately, from his period as second-in-command to Kovac and, indeed, some of whom he knew well from when he was No 2 to Jogi Low with the German national team.
The move for the goal was neat, and stylish, from Thiago Alcantara’s driven, precise through-ball, to Serge Gnabry's cut-back, to Thomas Muller’s speed of thought, to the trusted crossing of Joshua Kimmich.
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Arrests in Paris
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Importantly, Bayern very swiftly provided Kimmich with a number of possible targets, and PSG’s defenders with too many distractions.
Robert Lewandowski, the predatory goalscorer par excellence this season, was in the PSG penalty box, and so were Leon Goretzka and Muller, two masters of the late run into positions of threat.
And there was Coman, the unlikely target man, a winger moonlighting in a different role.
Like Goretzka, the midfielder who can ghost into scoring positions as capably as he anchors in front of back four. Or 19-year-old Alphonso Davies, the natural left-winger fast-tracked into a role as left-back.
Or David Alaba, the left-back given a new lease of life as a centre-half. Or Kimmich, as commanding in central midfield as at right-back. Or Manuel Neuer, the goalkeeper who sprints out his box to turn into a libero.
Part of Bayern’s strength is in their individual versatility. It takes a sharp-eyed, confident coach to see fresh, extra assets in his players and to exploit them.
Bayern have a formidable squad, witnessed by the fact that, when Coman’s goal settled the final, an entire back four of World Cup winners were on their bench, Jerome Boateng (Germany, 2014) having limped off to take a seat close to Javi Martinez (Spain 2010), Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez (both France, 2018).
And beware, that strength-in-depth is about to become deeper in certain areas of the pitch, notably Coman's left flank, where Leroy Sane has arrived, determined to gain more regular starts than he had at Manchester City.
Sane will take instructions from a coach with authority and the knack of making the most of Bayern’s ample resources and reacting purposefully to unforeseen circumstances.
“We made the best use of everything,” Flick said after the triumph, “including the pause for the coronavirus.”
Bayern, studious in organising individual fitness and training work during lockdown, came back from it to record 15 successive victories, win the league, the German, Cup and now the greatest club prize.
Snatching it from their grasp in 2020/21 already looks a challenge.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
HOW TO WATCH
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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
PULITZER PRIZE 2020 WINNERS
JOURNALISM
Public Service
Anchorage Daily News in collaboration with ProPublica
Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post
Local Reporting
Staff of The Baltimore Sun
National Reporting
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica
and
Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times
International Reporting
Staff of The New York Times
Feature Writing
Ben Taub of The New Yorker
Commentary
Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times
Criticism
Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times
Editorial Writing
Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald-Press
Editorial Cartooning
Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker
Breaking News Photography
Photography Staff of Reuters
Feature Photography
Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of the Associated Press
Audio Reporting
Staff of This American Life with Molly O’Toole of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green, freelancer, Vice News for “The Out Crowd”
LETTERS AND DRAMA
Fiction
"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
Drama
"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson
History
"Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America" by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford University Press)
Biography
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)
Poetry
"The Tradition" by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
General Nonfiction
"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
and
"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)
Music
"The Central Park Five" by Anthony Davis, premiered by Long Beach Opera on June 15, 2019
Special Citation
Ida B. Wells
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
