MADRID // If Carlo Ancelotti was anxious during Real Madrid’s early-season wobbles, the Italian coach did not show it.
The European champions were defeated in consecutive weeks at the beginning of the season, losing 4-2 at Real Sociedad and 2-1 at home to reigning champions Atletico Madrid, who had also beaten them in the Spanish Super Cup.
Madrid came under fire, with goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas describing events as “horrible”. To compound matters, Barcelona were winning every game under new manager Luis Enrique and enjoyed an early six-point lead.
Critics brayed at Madrid’s misfortune, with claims of a crisis at the Bernabeu. Such allegations were partly valid, after club president Florentino Perez was criticised by his own fans for selling Angel Di Maria to Manchester United and Xabi Alonso to Bayern Munich.
Opinion formers said Di Maria had been sold because he did not sell enough shirts. Style, they said, was triumphing over substance and Madrid had lost the panache to win matches.
Perez said little; Ancelotti said he could not understand why anyone was anxious.
They had won the Uefa Champions League less than 100 days earlier and would let results do the talking, but the Italian’s position was uncertain at a club that has used 25 managers in the last 25 years.
Reliable sources indicated that Perez might want to make a change, but he stuck by his coach and the decision appears vindicated.
Starting with an 8-2 victory at Deportivo La Coruna on September 20, Madrid began a winning run that, 19 games later, has not stopped.
Ancelotti’s side have leapfrogged Barcelona at the top and won all six Champions League games, including a demolition of Liverpool at Anfield. They bested Barca 3-1, the first time Madrid beat the Catalans by two clear goals since 2008.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a staggering 30 goals in 22 games, with 23 coming in only 13 league games. In their relentless progress, Madrid have hit rivals for four goals or more on 11 occasions.
Ronaldo is on target to win another Pichichi award as the top goalscorer and to be named World Player of the Year for 2014. His strike foil, Karim Benzema, has scored 13 and won over any remaining critics, while Gareth Bale has eight goals.
Madrid are the best team in the world at the moment. Ancelotti lost those early games, but he had to assimilate new signings James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos. Casillas, the captain, was not finished, as suggested after a poor World Cup, and remains No 1, with Costa Rica's Keylor Navas the No 2 keeper.
It did not take Ancelotti long to get Madrid’s machine working back on full power. Their football is slick, entertaining and dominating. They have top players in every position.
Manchester United, who once sniffed at Madrid’s idea of paying top money for fully formed star players, are now trying to emulate Madrid’s position by having elite players in every role.
Madrid hope to finish a wonderful year best remembered for winning the much-anticipated decima by becoming world champions in Morocco on December 20. As Barcelona end 2014 without a trophy, Madrid have already won the Copa del Rey, European Super Cup and a 10th European Cup, which earned them a semi-final spot in the Fifa Club World Cup in Rabat on Tuesday, against the winners of the match between Mexican side Cruz Azul and Western Sydney Wanderers.
That pair meet in Rabat on Saturday, representing a remarkable rise for an Australian side who were founded two-and-a-half years ago. They beat Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the Asian Champions League (ACL) final, becoming the first Australian side to win the trophy.
They did it the hard way, defeating defending J-League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima, defending Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande and last season’s ACL runners-up, FC Seoul, on the way to the final. If the Wanderers beat the Mexicans, then Madrid await.
Argentina’s San Lorenzo are the favourites from the other side of the draw, while Madrid are the obvious top pick overall in a competition won by European clubs in seven of the last eight seasons.
Madrid also expect to be well-supported by their fans, because Rabat, like Lisbon, the venue of the Champions League final, is about an hour’s flight from the Spanish capital.
Fortune has favoured this brilliant Madrid team more than once this year, but they are making their own luck.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
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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
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
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Key Points
- Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
- Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
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: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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
Results:
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
RESULT
Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
