It was the draw the police, the England Football Association and the respective clubs dreaded.
Queens Park Rangers against Chelsea plus Liverpool versus Manchester United equates to overtime and extra staffing, plenty of letters and public calls for calm. It also makes for potentially incendiary atmospheres and for already delicate situations to become a football nightmare.
In a season of comebacks, there has been an unwanted and unwelcome return: the spectre of racism is back.
Today's FA Cup ties are re-runs of league games that brought serious accusations, one leading to a landmark suspension, the other a criminal case.
When United last visited Merseyside, Patrice Evra was the target of racist remarks by Luis Suarez. Liverpool's Uruguayan striker is absent, serving the penultimate game of his eight-match ban after an FA disciplinary panel deemed him guilty of racial abuse, but the defender will start at Anfield.
Meanwhile, in west London, Anton Ferdinand and John Terry meet for the first time since QPR's October derby win.
The Chelsea and England captain was accused of racially abusing the Rangers player; after a complaint from a member of the public, Terry was charged by the police with a public order offence.
The case comes to court on Wednesday, when he is expected to plead not guilty.
Before the trial comes another test. It is one that Terry, who has long persuaded himself that he is an indestructible leader of men, may relish.
He is accustomed to life in the eye of the storm, even if his performances have been decidedly mixed when the spotlight is focused firmly on him.
But the blameless Ferdinand's form suffered in the aftermath of the original incident.
With both managers confirming they will pick the defenders, even the pre-match handshake will be scrutinised. So will the stands: the capital clubs issued a joint statement, urging fans to report anyone guilty of "discriminatory and inflammatory language".
It is especially pertinent after one Chelsea fan was arrested for, and others accused of, alleged racial chanting last week. In the last three months, Ferdinand has been the subject of some distasteful choruses.
Liverpool and United's meetings can be vitriolic enough even without the current backdrop. Sir Alex Ferguson has written to the travelling Mancunians calling for "positive, loud and witty support", something even the usually bubbly Evra may require.
The Scot struck a rare note of harmony between the two clubs by endorsing Steven Gerrard's approach.
"We all have a responsibility to ensure that this game is remembered for the football," the Liverpool captain said. "We don't want any front-page stories from the game."
The last FA Cup tie at Anfield sadly brought one, with the Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi was reportedly racially abused.
According to Ian Ayre, the Liverpool managing director, the theme of the day should be: "Rivalry, not hatred."
Yet after signs that events on the pitch have encouraged the extreme elements of the support, it may be a vain hope.
And whatever the score today, one thing is for sure: plenty in positions of authority will be hoping that this draw does not lead to another draw.
And the worst-case scenario: a replay.
sports@thenational.ae
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.
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.”
THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
