At Chelsea, Jose Mourinho's man-management style was often deemed inspirational by his playing staff.
Yet it could be argued that his treatment of Joe Cole was bewildering to say the least.
A first-choice for England, Cole struggled initially to make the same impact at Stamford Bridge after Mourinho took over. He was even criticised after scoring in a game against Liverpool - for neglecting his defensive duties.
Mourinho wanted to harness Cole's individual flair into his team ethic. It eventually paid off - and there are echoes of this scenario at Inter Milan as the Portuguese tactician tries to handle problematic young striker Mario Balotelli.
Mourinho was gushing in praise for his Inter side after they secured a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-0 victory over Rubin Kazan on Wednesday.
Yet the master of mind games was still reluctant to single out Balotelli, 19, who was the architect of the crucial victory that saw them progress, along with holders Barcelona, from a difficult Group F.
"This is a victory for a group that knew how to stay together and suffer together," said Mourinho. "Balotelli, as always, played his match with positive and negative aspects."
Balotelli may be temperamental, have a ridiculous haircut - a blond Mohican tuft - but there is no doubt he has an outrageous amount of talent that demands the same attention.
This was clearly evident in the San Siro. The Italian striker's backheel flick on the byline to set up Samuel Eto'o for the opening goal was sublime. His 30-yard swerving free-kick for the second was spectacular.
But still Mourinho was not satisfied. He demands class as well as consistency. Last month, Mourinho rated Balotelli's performance against Roma as " close to zero". The Inter coach, frustrated by the player's seemingly selfish attitude.
But Mourinho has been backed in his approach by Massimo Moratti, the Inter president.
"Mourinho has faith in Balotelli's qualities and I think the method he uses with him is right," he said. "Mourinho can sometimes seem harsh on him, but in the end he named him as a starter in a Champions League game. I admire Mario for his talent, but he still has to grow."
Ivan Cordoba, the Inter defender, added: "The coach has great experience. Mario just has to listen, learn and do his best like he did here [against Rubin]. He has to express himself in a team that loves him."
Mourinho showed little love afterwards. More trouble lies ahead as Inter look to claim the prize that has eluded them since 1965.
The last 16 will see them face one of the group winners, such as Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester United or his former employers Chelsea.
"Last year, I said I preferred to get Manchester, not because they were champions of Europe, but because facing that team could have been an extra motivational factor," he said.
"I really don't know which team I prefer to face [this time]. Chelsea because they are part of my history? I don't know if Chelsea are part of my history, or if I am part of Chelsea's history."
Olympiakos, 1-0 victors over Arsenal, and Stuttgart, who beat Unirea Urziceni 3-1, also confirmed their places in the next stage. Fiorentina claimed top spot in Group E with a 2-1 win at Liverpool.
With Arsenal to face in a decisive Premier League match on Sunday, it was not the confidence boost that the Reds manager Rafa Benitez wanted. But he was lifted by an encouraging first start from Alberto Aquilani and the return of striker Fernando Torres.
So too Steven Gerrard, who said: "It's massive for me that Fernando is back, massive for the club, massive for everyone here. He's our main man. He's our top scorer, so we need him back fit and firing. If that happens then I'm sure we'll move up the league and get in the top four."
@Email:akhan@thenational.ae
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
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.
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
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
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
Fixtures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWednesday%2C%20April%203%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EArsenal%20v%20Luton%20Town%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EManchester%20City%20v%20Aston%20Villa%2C%2011.15pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThursday%2C%20April%204%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELiverpool%20v%20Sheffield%20United%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
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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
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 White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4/5
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Company%C2%A0profile
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