Bayern Munich's players and staff began their mid-season holiday last night, content to go into the five-week Bundesliga break knowing they could probably afford to return to league duty as late as the end of January and still be lording it above everybody else in the German top flight.
No club has ever accelerated so quickly to the status of mid-term leaders of the Bundesliga. Bayern would need to drop at least 10 points very rapidly to cast doubt on their title credentials.
Bayern knew three fixtures ago they were guaranteed top berth at the halfway stage, crowned so-called winter champions in late November. Or not so much winter champions as phantoms who disappeared over the horizon before Christmas shopping had begun.
Will anybody challenge Bayern between now and May? The chances of Borussia Dortmund, the German champions the past two years, doing so hit another setback with defeat at home to Wolfsburg last weekend, which left them fuming about refereeing decisions and in third place.
Dortmund's impressive campaign in the Champions League, where they topped a group including Real Madrid, Ajax and Manchester City, also deprives them of an alibi in the spring. They will have more high-pressure football sapping their resources.
Dortmund are currently at the head of a bottleneck of six teams within three points of one another.
They include Schalke, who headed into November second in the table but have collapsed.
Among those grateful for Schalke's slide are Eintracht Frankfurt, who made a surprisingly smart start to their return after promotion in 2011/12 to the Bundesliga's top tier and whose recent, erratic form has not seen them plunge down the table as it might have done simply because the likes of Schalke, Dortmund and others have also been stumbling.
All of which poses a mildly uncomfortable question for the Bundesliga. How strong really are its top tier of clubs? It is the third-strongest league in Europe, according the Uefa co-efficient, the means by which European football's governing body measures the merit of a country's domestic football.
Two years ago, the Bundesliga jumped ahead of Italy's Serie A in that index, meaning it now sends four clubs - up from three - into the Champions League each August.
That led to hearty self-congratulations from a German football set-up not shy of proclaiming its sound business principles, its focus on sophisticated youth development, its high attendances and open dialogue with supporters who are far more involved in the running of most clubs than in comparable leagues across Europe.
That fan-friendly image of the Bundesliga has suffered somewhat, though, as the German football federation, under political pressure, introduced tighter security regulations around fixtures.
Football-related violence has been on the rise. Protests against the proposed security measures have been vivid but largely peaceful, and banners and demonstrations against what supporter-bodies perceive as unnecessary restrictions on, for instance, the allocation of tickets to away fans are expected at stadiums this weekend.
The idea of a Bundesliga with great strength in depth has been a little dented, too.
Borussia Monchengladbach, beneficiaries of Germany's new four-team allocation in Europe's principal club competition, were promptly eliminated by Dynamo Kiev in the play-off for this year's group stage.
Dortmund's 2011/12 campaign had been unedifying, too. They finished bottom of their group.
Only one club other than Bayern has reached a Champions League final this millennium and it is they, Bayer Leverkusen, who lead the chasing pack, albeit at a distance, this morning.
Leverkusen, spearheaded by the exciting Andre Shurrle, a 22-year-old embodiment of what Germany has done right in its youth development, and the Germany international striker Stefan Kiessling, whose 10 league goals so far this term put him joint-top of the Bundesliga marksmen's list going into the weekend, were on a run of four successive wins until they were afflicted by the virus apparently preying on all clubs aiming for a place in the top four of the Bundesliga. Hannover beat them 3-2 last Sunday.
Leverkusen entertain Hamburg today. If there is a club with the might and resources to lever itself up through the flawed also-rans of the current Bundesliga, it should be Hamburg. But they have been not so much a sleeping giant in recent seasons as one kept neurotically awake at night by dreams and emotional instability. They finished one spot above the relegation zone last May, but have made a far happier impression on the present campaign. Buoyed by the return from Tottenham Hotspur of the Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart - though he will miss today's fixture with injury - and with a greater steel to a defence thriving on the impressive performances of the former Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler, Hamburg are on the up.
"We have a chance of qualifying for Europe," is as far as their coach, Thorsten Fink, is prepared to forecast. But in a Bundesliga where the champions-elect had declared themselves by mid-November, and the next-best all keep tripping up, you will not hear any coach predicting much more than that.
sports@thenational.ae
Fixtures
Today
Fuerth v Augsburg 6.30pm
Wolfsburg v Frankfurt 6.30pm
Leverkusen v Hamburg 6.30pm
Dusseldorf v Hannover 6.30pm
Mainz v Stuttgart 6.30pm
Schalke v Freiburg 9.30pm
Tomorrow
Hoffenheim v Dortmund 6.30pm
Bremen v Nuremberg 8.30pm
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
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.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Company%20Profile
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Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars