Clarence Seedorf and Milan travel to Madrid for the second leg on March 11. Marco Luzzani / Getty Images
Clarence Seedorf and Milan travel to Madrid for the second leg on March 11. Marco Luzzani / Getty Images

‘The lads showed a lot of spirit and determination’ says Seedorf, still strong in Milan belief



AC Milan coach Clarence Seedorf said the Italians’ Champions League quarter-final bid is far from over despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to high-flying Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

Milan had kept Diego Simeone’s side on a tight leash throughout a dramatic encounter at the San Siro but paid the price for hitting the woodwork three times in an enthralling first-half.

As Milan tired, Atletico striker Diego Costa headed an 83rd minute winner just inside Christian Abbiati near post after defender Ignazio Abate had headed a corner towards the back post.

Two weeks ahead of the second leg at the Vicente Calderon stadium, Diego Simeone’s are now favourites to qualify for what would be their first quarter-final appearance since 1997.

But Milan refuse to throw in the towel.

Former Milan great Seedorf, in his first Champions League game as coach, applauded Milan’s efforts and said the tie is not over yet.

“On the whole lads showed a lot of spirit and determination and I also saw some great individual performances,” said the Dutchman.

“At the end we were tired and we perhaps paid for our efforts. It’s a positive result for them but the tie is not over. I know the Vicente Calderon (stadium) well but the stadium also knows me.”

Milan spurned three chances to score in the first half, the first on 15 minutes when Adel Taarabt’s ball was put through for Kaka only for the Brazilian to send a curling left-footed strike off Thibaut Courtois’s crossbar.

Minutes later Taarabt’s cross was met by Andrea Poli but Courtois performed heroics to palm the winger’s precision header off the post.

After Emiliano Insua saw yellow for a crunching tackle on Mattia De Sciglio which left the defender hobbling off to be replaced by Abate, a Balotelli backheel on the counter found Kaka, whose latest effort skimmed the bar on its way over.

For Simeone, Atletico had a first half to forget.

“After a strong start we began suffering down the right and we weren’t sharp enough coming out,” said the former Inter, Lazio and Atletico defensive midfielder, who steered the Spaniards to Europa League victory in 2012.

Simeone boosted his midfield for the second half and immediately began to look the stronger side.

Shortly after the restart Costa was allowed space at the back post to attempt a bicycle kick when a cross was whipped but his effort was off target.

Milan created few real chances, a Kaka drive going wide and striker Mario Balotelli being restricted to free kick attempts which came to nothing.

Ghanaian Michael Essien sent a glancing header wide of Courtois’s upright but Atletico clearly had the momentum.

On 75 minutes, Costa held off his marker to set up Raul Garcia, whose drive from 20 metres was blocked down low by Abbiati.

Seedorf replaced Balotelli with Pazzini on 77 minutes but by then a tiring Milan had little left to offer.

The visitors pressed and, after a first-time Garcia effort had just missed the target, Costa struck to stun the hosts.

Milan’s last chance came from French defender Adil Rami, whose powerful freekick went a metre wide of the Atletico goal.

Kaka had plenty of reason to bemoan his earlier misses but the Brazilian was defiant.

“We created plenty of chances so I don’t want to talk about bad luck but it’s clear that if we’d had put one of those chances away we’d be talking about a different game,” said the Brazilian.

“It’s not the result we wanted but now we have to turn our focus to the second leg and believe that we can come through it.”

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
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  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
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  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
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  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

LIVERPOOL SQUAD

Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams

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The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

Five personal finance podcasts from The National

 

To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes 

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Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth 

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What is a portfolio stress test? 

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What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested? 

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How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies 

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Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?  

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

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The specs

BMW M8 Competition Coupe

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Why your domicile status is important

Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.

Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born. 

UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.

A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.

Indika
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More from Armen Sarkissian
The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

Australia tour of Pakistan

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi  

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi 

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi

The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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SHAITTAN
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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

About Seez

Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017  

Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer

Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon 

Sector:  Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing

Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed

Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A 

Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds 

Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital

Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now