The final two rounds of the Uefa Champions League were an impressive period for Juventus forward Alvaro Morata.
The Spaniard scored in both legs of the semi-final against his former employers Real Madrid, who he had left to join the Serie A champions last summer for a fee of €20 million (Dh82.7m).
Morata then found the net in the final in Berlin earlier this month as Juventus lost 3-1 to Barcelona, but the 22 year old's stock has risen, despite his side missing out on winning the competition.
Spanish media outlets have subsequently reported that the new Madrid coach Rafael Benitez is interested in bringing back the Spaniard back to Madrid.
Benitez also reportedly wanted Morata in his squad during the time coaching Napoli, so this does add weight to the rumours of a quick return to Madrid, who have a buy-back option on the forward.
Read more:
– Richard Jolly on Iniesta and Suarez stepping up on the big occasion
– Diego Simeone thinks ‘hot-blooded’ Carlos Tevez would be perfect fit for Atletico Madrid
Morata scored 16 goals in all competition as the Turin side claimed a league and cup double in Italy.
It is not hard to imagine where Morata would fit in with Benitez’s thoughts for Madrid if he does try to make a move for him.
Morata has the capability of speed and power to play counter-attack football, a system that has worked well for Benitez in the past.
Madrid already have Karim Benzema though, and the 27 year old, who has been at the club since 2009, scoring 22 goals in the campaign.
While not always a popular figure in his early days with Madrid, the Frenchman has gained the respect of the Bernabeu’s crowd, and he had a good 2014/15 campaign
Benzema knows how to prove good attacking chances for Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriquez, Gareth Bale, or even Isco, which have proved over the last two years of struggle domestically that he is pivotal and worth his position.
Real Madrid are always eager to bring new strikers, even though the formation of Benzema, Ronaldo, and Bale have been impressive in terms of goal scoring.
In Spanish football it is not as prominent to have a pure No 9 striker like the Premier League, and Madrid’s problems in 2014-15 were not down to a lack of goal power from Benzema, Ronaldo and Bale as a unit.
They work well together and Benzema deserves to remain in the side.
Morata still has a chance to get back to Madrid, but he still young and not entirely ready.
There is no harm for him staying at Juventus another year and seeing if he can improve his goalscoring numbers further and if he does then Madrid should strong think next summer about signing him back.
malshamsi@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at our new home at NatSportUAE
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
Sri Lanka v England
First Test, at Galle
England won by 211
Second Test, at Kandy
England won by 57 runs
Third Test, at Colombo
From Nov 23-27
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
WITHIN%20SAND
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Moe%20Alatawi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Ra%E2%80%99ed%20Alshammari%2C%20Adwa%20Fahd%2C%20Muhand%20Alsaleh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
