Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid competes for the ball with Jonny Castro of Celta Vigo during the Copa del Rey quarter-finals at the Balaidos stadium on January 25, 2017 in Vigo, Spain. Angel Martinez / Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid competes for the ball with Jonny Castro of Celta Vigo during the Copa del Rey quarter-finals at the Balaidos stadium on January 25, 2017 in Vigo, Spain. Angel MartinezShow more

In Real Madrid’s way toward title is a tricky Celta Vigo side: Primera Liga in focus



Which Celta Vigo team are going to turn up Wednesday at the Balaidos for their final home league game of the season against a Real Madrid side who need four points from their final two games to win a first title in five years?

Will it be the Celta which started like an express train against Barcelona and raced into a 3-0 lead of a game they would win 4-3?

The Celta which became the first team in more than a year to win at Santiago Bernabeu, when their 2-1 victory helped them knock Real Madrid out of the Copa del Rey, just as they had knocked Atletico out last season?

In the previous round, Celta beat Valencia 4-1 away.

On their day, Celta are excellent and this has been a great season for them. The Galicians have reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, where they narrowly lost to Alaves, and the Europa League, where they narrowly lost to Manchester United.

In both ties, Celta failed to win the first leg at home.

Eduardo Berizzo’s side froze against United. Their English opponents were creative, athletic and dominant and won 1-0.

Celta were better at Old Trafford while United were poor, enjoying extended periods of play and coming agonisingly close to getting a 96th-minute winner from John Guidetti which would have sent them through to the Stockholm final.

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Read more

■ Team of the week: Kane winner gives White Hart Lane fitting finale

■ Pablo Zabaleta: Defined by his own defiance and indomitable spirit

■ Liverpool: Klopp's flexibility rewarded with biggest win of 2017

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The cups have been Celta’s focus in the past two months and their league form has slipped with seven defeats in eight games. Celta were eighth after 20 league matches, but they fell to 13th after their latest defeat.

Wednesday’s game (11pm in the UAE) is being played after the original fixture was postponed when heavy winds ripped off a section of Celta’s stand roof.

Yet they still have a crucial role to play in the Primera Liga title race. Beat Madrid and Barcelona will be clear favourites to retain their title on Sunday’s final day of league football when the Catalans entertain Eibar, while Madrid are at Malaga.

Barca manager Luis Enrique knows his side’s fate lies elsewhere, but he rightly pointed out that Madrid’s last two opponents, Celta and Malaga, both beat Barcelona this season.

Celta have nothing to play for and it would be considered a dead rubber if the game were in England, but things work differently in Spain. Clubs are offered inducements to win matches. It is not illegal, though the ethics are questionable.

Barcelona need Celta to win.

If that happens, they will likely win the league, so the Catalans may suggest, for example, that they would be happy to loan Celta two of their players for next season — if they can beat Madrid.

That is considered normal practice in Spain, but for all Celta’s qualities, they are inconsistent and unpredictable. Against the other Europa League finalists Ajax earlier in the season, Celta were out of the match and losing 2-0 before scoring two late goals.

Whatever Celta do, Madrid still have the players to destroy them. Judged by their form in the last year, they are the best team in the world, the European and world champions. They are in another Uefa Champions League final this month, their third in four years. They won the other three.

After the April clasico defeat at home to Barcelona, they have won their last four matches. It is needed, for Barca have won their last six and they are hammering sides. Spain’s top two both won 4-1 at the weekend, with their big guns firing.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two in Madrid’s win against Sevilla. Madrid are on top of their game because they have to be: they can win the league and become the first team to retain the European Cup in the Champions League era.

James Rodriguez, who is unlikely to start Wednesday or in the Champions League final, waved what looked like a goodbye to the Bernabeu crowd at the weekend as he was substituted.

He is linked with a move to Manchester United. Who isn’t?

The fact that Madrid will let him go for big money shows how overstocked they are with talent. Wednesday, in Vigo, they need to show it again.

Season to forget for Valencia

This season has not been a respectable one for Valencia. After a poor start – they lost their first four matches – a first relegation in more than 30 years seemed a genuine possibility.

Valencia did what they often do and changed their manager. They are on their third of the season after Pako Ayestaran and Cesare Prandelli were dismissed, meaning Salvador “Voro” Gonzalez took charge again as caretaker.

He has steadied a ship which looked like it was sinking and Valencia have gradually climbed the table, inching away from the relegation places to sit 12th in the table. They have won their past two matches, beating Espanyol on Saturday, a good result.

Valencia also beat Real Madrid at home in February, but there have been too few highs; Valencia should be in Spain’s top six, even top four. And, according to their ultra critical fans, Spain’s top one.

Valencia have had little stability, but the club’s Singaporean chief executive, Layhoon Chan, will move on this month after two difficult seasons.

A replacement to Voro has been found in Marcelino, who started this season at Valencia’s neighbours Villarreal but resigned before the first league match after a disagreement with the board.

Marcelino excelled at Villarreal, winning them promotion in his first season and then three top-six finishes, also taking them to the Europa League semi-final last season.

His appointment has been greeted with the typical enthusiasm that comes with any new Valencia manager. He should enjoy it, for the shelf life is usually a short one. But Marcelino, 51, who has managed around Spain, is a wise head.

It will take more than one man to right the wrongs at the club and stop the avalanche of discontent among fans, but Valencia still have some very talented players, from captain Dani Parejo to full-back Jose Luis Gaya and fellow defender Eliaquim Mangala. Ahead of him is Nani, who is back from injury. Forward Simone Zaza, on loan from Juventus until the end of the season, will sign permanently.

There are always reasons for optimism, but Valencia’s supporters are understandably downtrodden and do not read too much into their club’s seemingly impressive average gate of 33,941 either.

It may be the sixth highest in Spain, but it is 8,000 down on last season and some of the recent attendances have been alarmingly low, with the last two home crowds numbering 26,101 and 24,752 – half of what they would be getting if they were top of the league.

Those days are long gone, but they will hope that 2016/17 was the season they hit rock bottom.

Player of the week

• Neymar: The Brazilian striker's hat-trick at Las Palmas helped his Barcelona side to an easy 4-1 win. Ivan Rakitic and Jordi Alba also played well. Nacho was Real Madrid's best player in their 4-1 win against Sevilla. The defender scored, too. Another goalscorer, Stevan Jovetic, was Sevilla's best player.

Game of the week

Malaga v Real Madrid: Zinedine Zidane's side will be champions if they win on Sunday, assuming they do not lose at Celta Vigo Wednesday. If they are beaten, they expect just as much attention to be on Barcelona's home game to Eibar. Two from Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad will finish in the remaining European spots. All three are away at Valencia, Atletico and Celta.

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Company%20Profile
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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 
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT

Started: July 2016

Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori

Based: Bangalore, India

Sector: Health & wellness

Size: 500 employees

Investment: $250 million

Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)

FIGHT%20CARD
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Where to submit a sample

Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

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. 

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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Scores in brief:

  • New Medical Centre 129-5 in 17 overs bt Zayed Cricket Academy 125-6 in 20 overs.
  • William Hare Abu Dhabi Gymkhana 188-8 in 20 overs bt One Stop Tourism 184-8 in 20 overs
  • Alubond Tigers 138-7 in 20 overs bt United Bank Limited 132-7 in 20 overs
  • Multiplex 142-6 in 17 overs bt Xconcepts Automobili 140 all out in 20 overs
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

BORDERLANDS

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis

Director: Eli Roth

Rating: 0/5

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20Znap%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarted%3A%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Uday%20Rathod%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%241m%2B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EInvestors%3A%20Family%2C%20friends%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWest%20Asia%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Bahrain%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%201%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%202%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%20III%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDubai%20Sevens%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

The Bio

Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”

Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”

Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”

Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis

'Shakuntala Devi'

Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra

Director: Anu Menon

Rating: Three out of five stars

If you go

The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates


The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
 

When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season

RESULTS

6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m

Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m

Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m

Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Director: Jon Watts

Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon 

Rating:*****